Division  Jij\.^  >     t 
Seettofl    .  B  SI  I 


'^^ 

■k/. 


JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 


Jesus  of  Nazareth 


A  LIFE 


BY 


S.  C.  BRADLEY 


"  Poetry  comes  nearer  to  vital  truth  than  history  " 

Plato 


BOSTON 
SHERINIAN,  FRENCH  y  COMPANY 

1908 


Copyright  1908 
Sherman,  French  &=  Company 

Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall 


Printed  in  U.  S.  A. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  object  of  this  book  is  twofold.  First,  to  bring  into 
prominence  the  ManHness  of  Jesus, —  to  give  point  and 
emphasis  to  that  saying  of  Paul's  which  declares  that  Jesus 
was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are;  and  second,  to 
fill  up  that  gap  in  the  record  of  Jesus'  life  which  includes 
and  shuts  us  out  from  all  its  formative  period,  and  which, 
in  large  part,  must  necessarily  be  the  source  and  basis  of 
whatever  he  said  and  did. 

That  there  are  other  important  phases  of  Jesus'  life 
may  be  freely  admitted.  Very  properly,  there  is  a  theology 
of  Jesus,  and  also  a  psychology  of  him.  These  will 
neither  be  ignored  nor  treated  separately.  They  will  ap- 
pear as  fundamental  and  inseparable  outgrowths  of  char- 
acter and  of  life.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  Jesus'  divin- 
ity, the  most  partial  Trinitarian  must  admit  that  he  is  to 
be  studied  first  of  all  as  a  man.  His  outward  and  daily 
life  was  that  of  a  man.  To  the  very  last,  his  most  intimate 
friends,  even  his  mother  and  brethren,  so  regarded  him. 
Though  it  be  admitted  that  Jesus  was  and  is  God,  to  many 
devout  and  pious  souls  it  seems  presumption  to  study  him 
as  God;  for  it  is  asked.  What  do  we  know  about  God? 
If  we  are  to  find  God  in  Jesus,  we  must  find  Him  as  the 
summing  up,  the  expressed  essence,  of  that  incomparable 
human  life.  But  here,  too,  we  are  much  in  the  dark.  If 
we  accept  as  inspired  the  stories  of  the  evangelists,  they 
are  still  mere  fragments, —  the  minutest  shards  of  a 
priceless  vase.  Even  if  we  restore  the  vase  in  any  way  yet 
attempted,  our  bewilderment  is  but  the  more  increased,  and 
we  are  forced  to  inquire  the  secret  of  its  origin.  Whence 
such  clay,  such  form,  such  tempering  in  long-drawn  fur- 
nace-fire? There  are  no  inquiries  that  we  more  ardently 
"  press  upon  the  silence  of  history  "  than  these :  and  it  is 


INTRODUCTION 

partly  to  furnish  an  answer  to  them  that  this  book  is 
written. 

Then,  too,  there  are  not  a  few  truly  pious  souls  who  from 
Jesus  as  God  shrink  back  chilled  and  daunted ;  their  amaze- 
ment is  not  that  he  did  so  much,  but  that  he  did  no 
more.  And  is  it  not  true  that  when  we  look  upon  Jesus 
as  a  man,  we  are  awed,  inspired,  lifted  up.  We  are  drawn 
and  bound  to  him  by  the  mighty  bands  of  kinship.  He  is 
our  brother.  What  he  did  we  may  do.  The  illimitable 
realms  of  spirit  are  open  to  us.  We,  too,  may  aspire. 
We  may  trust  that  our  Father,  God,  has  sent  a  Man 
among  men  to  give  them  an  everlasting  example  of  Man- 
hood, and  to  show  what  capabilities  lie  in  human  nature. 
We  can  say,  "  Thus  lived  a  Man.      I  am  a  Man." 

Again,  in  anticipation  of  the  animadversions  of  ortho- 
doxy, one  word  as  to  authorities.  It  will  be  asked  why,  if 
I  am  a  believer  in  Jesus,  I  do  not  adhere  to  Scripture.  To 
this  I  reply,  What  Scripture?  Which  of  the  four  Gospels 
would  you  have  me  follow ;  or  would  you  in  some  matters 
have  me  reject  them  all,  and  stand  with  Paul  or  even  with 
Keim  or  Edersheim.f*  The  disagreements  of  the  Scripture 
accounts  have  come  to  appear  so  glaring,  and  are  so  un- 
denied  and  undeniable,  that  the  most  orthodox  writers  are 
forced  to  have  recourse  to  the  infidel's  sorry  weapons,  cor- 
ruption, interpolation,  and  the  like.  So  evangelical  and 
erudite  a  writer  as  Edersheim  naively  takes  such  refuge. 
In  his  two  labored  volumes  on  the  life  of  Jesus  there  are 
scores  of  instances  where  he  declares  that  the  sacred  text 
has  been  tampered  with.  Here  it  is  an  "  addition  "  or  a 
"gloss,"  there  a  "  subtraction  " ;  it  is  "  spurious,"  a  "  para- 
phrase," an  "  interpolation,"  or  "  wrongly  translated."  In 
one  place  he  expressly  doubts  the  united  testimony  of  the 
three  Synoptists,  and  says  that  what  they  record  was  an 
"  afterthought "  and  the  real  truth  was  not  as  stated  by 
them.  It  will  be  found  upon  examination  that  this  is  the 
method  of  all  writers  on  the  subject,  even  the  most  ortho- 


INTRODUCTION 

dox.  There  is  indeed  no  other  way.  Either  they  must 
accept  Jolin  and  reject  jMatthew,  or  vice  versa.  They 
must  say  this  is  text  and  that  interpolation,  or  this  is 
interpolation  and  that  text.  They  adopt  a  theory  of  their 
own  regarding  the  main  subject,  and  in  accordance  with 
this  theory  reject  or  adopt  or  explain  away,  as  best  suits 
their  theory.  The  conditions  of  the  case, —  the  contra- 
dictions, crudities,  and  absurdities  of  the  text, —  make  sucli 
a  course  absolutely  necessary ;  and  if  I  in  these  pages  have 
made  a  further  and  bolder  advance  into  the  region  of 
h^'pothcsis,  and  have  allowed  my  imagination  a  higher 
flight,  it  must  be  seen  that  I  am  pursuing  a  path  already 
laid  out  and  commended,  and  I  feel  sure  that  I  have  walked 
in  it  honestly  and  reverently. 

S.  C.  B. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I.     The    REL.VTIOXS  of  Jesus  to  Joiix 1 

II.     The    Youxg    Shephekd 14 

III.  The    Fisherman    of   Galilee 20 

IV.  Nazareth 31 

V.     GoixG  UP  TO  Jerusalem 36 

VI.     At  the  Temple  of  God 53 

VII.     The  Youxg  Carpexter 6-2 

VIII.     The  Hill-top 73 

IX.     The   Max 78 

X.     Tiberias 85 

XI.     The    Robbers 104 

XII.     Varus 116 

XIII.  The   Bond  Wojiak 125 

XIV.  The   Magi 132 

XV.     The    Passxxg   of   Shi  lath 144 

XVI.     Prophecy 148 

XVII.     Doubt 156 

XVII  I.     The   Return 164 

XIX.     Fallixg  off 169 

XX.     The    Chariot    Race 176 

XXI.     The  Last  Appeai 187 

XXII.     Nicodemus 193 

XXIII.  The   Plotters 205 

XXIV.  The  Battle 212 

XXV.     The  Desert 227 

XXVI.     Tarichea 239 

XXVI I.     The   Baptism  of  Johx 255 

XXVIII.     At  the  Fountain  of  Nazareth 259 

XXIX.     To  Hear  Johx 265 

XXX.     The  Black  Sheep 280 

XXXI.     Enox 285 

XXXII.     Temptation 293 

XXXIII.  The  First  Miracle 299 

XXXIV.  Chorazin 305 


CONTENTS 

CirAPTER.  PAGE. 

XXXV.     Alone 320 

XXXVI.     Annas 327 

XXXVII.     FiSHEHTON 338 

XXXVIII.     The  Ideal 34T 

XXXIX.     Weakness 361 

XL.     Exhaustion 367 

XLI.     Defection 381 

XLII.     In   Flight 385 

XLIII.     Unfolding 399 

XLIV.     CiESAREA  Philippi 104 

XLV.     The  Transfiguration 411 

XLVI.     Simon's  Feast .  415 

XLVII.     Radical 427 

XLVIII.     Fantasy 433 

XLIX.     Pilate 437 

L.     The  Plot  Thickens 444 

LI.     "  An  Exceeding  High  Mountain  " 446 

LII.     Cleansing  the  Temple 455 

LIIL     Fear 466 

LIV.     Olivet 470 

LV.     Suspense 475 

LVI.     A   Falling   Barometer 481 

LVII.     Mary  and  Helan 486 

LVIII.     Bethany 491 

LIX.     Judas 494 

LX.     Waiting 499 

LXI.     The  Last  Supper 501 

LXII.     Watch  and  Pray 509 

LXIII.     Perfected 513 

LXIV.     Gethsemane 518 

LXV.     No  Wavering 523 

LXVI.     Peter's    Denial 526 

LXVII.     Forsaken 531 

LXVIII.     The  Crucifixion 546 

LXIX.     Fatalities 552 

LXX.     Echoes 559 

LXXI.     The  Resurrection 561 

LXXII.     Obdurate 566 

LXXIII.     Faithful 573 


JESUS  AND  JOHN 

"There  are  few  questions  we  more  eagerly  press  upon  the  silence 
of  history  than  this." —  Keim. 

The  time  is  about  the  year  6  *  A.  D.  The  scene,  the 
Wilderness  of  Ziph,  not  far  from  Hebron.  Two  half- 
grown  boys  in  Jewish  garb  are  making  their  slow  way 
from  the  high  and  rocky  plateau  eastward  towards  the 
valley  of  Engedi  and  the  Dead  Sea.  Except  for  tlie  rare 
trail  of  conies  and  wild  goats  it  is  a  pathless  wild,  appar- 
ently without  inhabitant.  High  rocky  ridges  alternate 
with  tremendous  rifts  and  gorges,  with  here  and  there  a 
narrow  valley,  watered  in  winter  by  mountain  torrents  and, 
rarely,  by  more  enduring  springs  of  warm  or  brackish 
water.  Apparently  at  no  very  remote  period,  a  convulsion 
of  nature  had  rent  and  tossed  about  these  huge  mountain 
masses,  and  no  accumulation  of  soil  has  yet  found  place 
on  the  bare  and  splintered  rocks.  It  is  "  Jeshimon,"  the 
land  of  "  desolation,"  of  "  horror,"  and  of  "  drought." 

Now,  in  the  Spring  and  the  time  of  rain,  there  is  some 
vegetation.  From  the  crevices  of  the  rocks  appears  a 
scanty  growth  of  cactus,  and  white  flowering  broom,  with, 
more  rarely,  crocuses,  hyacinths,  and  dandelions.  Here 
and  there  are  birds  of  rich  plumage  and  delightful  song, 
the  gaudy  bulbul  or  sunbird  and  the  hoopoe,  the  night- 
ingale and  the  English  lark,  the  titmouse,  the  sparrow, 
and  the  song  thrush.  All  of  these  but  the  hardy  cacti  and 
perhaps  the  bulbul  and  hoopoe  will  disappear  in  the  fierce 
summer  heat,  and  except  in  the  deep  wadies  and  favored 

*  It  should  be  observed  that  the  birth  of  Jesus  was  certainly  six, 
and  perhaps  twelve,  years  before  the  year  1. 

1 


2  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

spots  where  Essenes  and  hermits  have  fixed  an  abode,  the 
whole  land  will  be  bare,  lifeless,  and  desolate.  It  was 
nearly  noon  when  the  two  boys,  by  dint  of  bold  and 
skillful  climbing,  reached  the  summit  of  one  of  the  highest 
ridges  of  this  whole  region.  Although  it  was  early  Spring, 
the  sun,  shining  through  the  cloudless  sky  and  reflected 
from  the  bare  rocks,  was  very  oppressive,  and  the  boys, 
panting  a-nd  perspiring,  sought  the  shelter  of  an  enormous 
rock  and  sat  down. 

That  these  boys  are  not  brothers  we  may  be  sure  at  a 
glance.  There  is  not  even  a  family  resemblance,  and 
there  is  no  perceptible  difference  in  age.  The  stouter, 
and  apparently  the  more  energetic  of  the  two,  is  of  the 
marked  Jewish  type  in  every  detail, —  the  fine  olive  tint  of 
skin,  the  black  flashing  eyes,  the  teeth,  even,  regular,  and 
white  as  milk,  and  hair  (unshorn  from  birth)  black,  wavy, 
and  shining.  The  other  is  so  different  in  feature  that  we 
are  forced  almost  to  doubt  his  Jewish  extraction.  He  is  a 
trifle  taller,  and  less  stout  and  muscular,  but  drawn  upon 
lines  and  cast  in  a  mould  that  would  have  put  Apelles  or 
Phidias  into  transports.  The  eyes  are  dark,  not  black, 
looking  out  dreamily  from  unfathomable  depths,  the  com- 
plexion tanned  by  exposure  but  pure  and  clear  as  alabaster, 
and  the  hair  brown,  wavy,  abundant,  and,  like  the  other's, 
unshorn.  And  the  face, —  surely  not  Jewish ;  neither  is  it 
Greek,  nor  Roman.  It  is  idyllic,  even  ideal, —  the  face 
we  dream  of  when  we  see  Heaven  opened,  and  the  rapt 
faces  about  the  Throne. 

The  boys  sat  in  silence  for  some  moments,  looking  out 
over  the  surpassing  scene.  At  length  the  darker  one, 
whose  name  was  John,  addressing  his  companion,  said, 
"  Didn't  I  tell  you  the  view  would  be  glorious  ?  Isn't  it 
wonderful.''  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  other,  "  it  is  very  wonderful ; 
but  do  you  think  it  is  good  to  be  much  in  such  places.'* 
Somehow  I  don't  like  it." 


JESUS  AND  JOHN  3 

"  Father  says,"  replied  Jolin,  "  that  sohtude  has  ever 
been  the  school  of  the  prophets,  and  you  know  how  very 
hard  it  is  to  keep  the  Law  among  the  world's  people." 

"  Yes,  it  is  very  hard,"  said  the  other,  "  but  what  good 
can  one  do,  living  here?  " 

"  I  never  thought  about  that ;  but  a  life  here  might  be 
a  life  of  preparation,  getting  ready  to  do  good  —  when  an 
opportunity  offered." 

"  Well,  these  hermits  and  Essenes  that  you  tell  me  of, — 
they  live  here  all  their  lives  and  are  always  preparing,  but 
what  real  good  do  they  do  ?  " 

John  did  not  answer  for  some  moments;  then  with  a 
solemn  smile  and  looking  up  at  the  other:  "I  believe, 
Jesus,  that  you  are  a  born  philosopher.  You  are  always 
studying  into  things  that  way ;  but  ^-^ou  wait  till  you  have 
seen  Father  Menahem,  Cochiba,  and  the  rest.  They'll  ex- 
plain to  you  better  than  I  can." 

John  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  pointing  with  his 
hand  to  a  spot  a  thousand  feet  below,  and  a  mile  or  more 
away,  exclaimed,  "  There  they  are  now,  see,  at  the  foot 
of  that  great  hill  that  stands  out  by  itself  and  is  partly 
terraced  on  one  side.  See  those  people  moving  there! 
That's  Cochiba  and  the  rest  of  them.     See.''  " 

Jesus  put  his  hand  over  his  eyes  to  screen  them  from  the 
sun  and  looked  long  in  the  direction  indicated.  "  Yes,  I 
see  something  that  looks  like  tents,  and  something  moving 
there;  but  they  look  no  bigger  than  ants  from  here. 
What  a  view  this  is !  " 

"  I  am  glad  if  you  begin  to  appreciate  It.  From  here 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  could  have  been  seen  before  God  sent 
the  fire  from  Heaven  upon  them,  and  where  now  is  the 
great  Salt  Sea  was  a  fertile  plain  and  no  doubt,  so  Father 
says,  the  very  garden  of  the  world ;  and  there,  twenty  miles 
away,  though  you  wouldn't  think  it,  is  the  Great  Masada 
that  King  Herod  spent  so  much  of  Israel's  money  and 
labor   upon.     How   its   great  towers    glisten    in   the   sun ! 


4  .lESl'S  OF  NAZARKTH 

And  there  across  the  son.  far  in  the  southeast,  those  white 
towers  :ire  Kerak.  thirty  miles  away.  Here,  towaixls  the 
sun  rising,  is  Macherus,  another  of  Herod's  stn^nghoUis. 
It  makes  one  shudder  to  think  of  the  ^xx^r  Israehtes  who 
have  diet!  oliainetl  to  tlie  rvx-ks  in  thtv^e  duno^x"»ns,  and  how 
many  are  there  now,  dying  by  inches  and  waiting  to  Ix^ 
crucified.  Father  says  that  Goti  dehvered  Israel  of  the 
monster  Henxl,  but  these  Romans  are  scarcely  Wtter." 

The  boys  sat  in  silence  for  some  moment*,  then  Jesus 
said  slowly  and  solemnly :  **  Your  father  and  my  father  and, 
I  think.  :dl  gixxl  Israelites  Wlieve  that  the  time  of  Israel's 
deliverance  is  at  hand.  The  Messiah  will  surely  come. 
In  Galilee  we  have  a  man  whom  they  call  Judas  the  Gaul- 
onite.  whose  father  was  the  ne^tetl  zealot  Ezekias,  who  gixs 
around  among  the  people  trying  to  get  them  to  rise  and 
fight  against  the  Romans.  He  has  lxx>n  at  our  house  and 
I  have  hearvl  him  talk  to  Father  and  others.  I  tell  you.  it 
makes  one's  blood  tingle  to  hear  him.*' 

The  black  eyes  of  John  began  to  kindle  with  the  words 
of  Jesus,  and  his  manner  became  at  once  excitetl  and 
martial.  Stretching  out  his  clenched  hand,  he  exclaimed 
fiercely,  **  I  tell  you  it  is  the  only  way.  Our  fathers  say 
*  no,'  and  we  must  honor  and  obey,  it  is  true :  but  thank 
God, —  and  blessed  be  His  name, —  the  day  w  ill  come 
when  we  can  act  for  ourselves.  We,  you  and  I,  have 
studied  the  Scripture,  and  we  can  repeat  the  most  of  the 
Law  and  the  Prophets  without  book,  and  we  know  how  it 
has  ever  been.  How  did  Israel  become  free  under  Sam- 
son or  Gideon  or  Deborah.'  They  s.ay  that  I  am  a  Naz- 
arite,  and  am  dedicated  to  God:  but  so  was  Samson  a 
Xa/arite.  and  the  prophet  Samuel  Avas  a  Nazarite.  And 
didn't  Samson  tight?  And  rtMnemWr  how  Samuel  heweil 
Agag  in  pieces  when  the  faint-heartetl  Saul  had  savetl 
him  alive.  And  didn't  Joshua  and  David  fight?  And 
didn't  God  Himself  go  with  them,  putting  strength  in  their 
arms  and  courage  in  their  hearts,  so  that  it  was  as  promised. 


JESUS  AND  JOHN  6 

one  could  chase  a  thousand,  and  two  put  ten  thousand  to 
fli^lit?  God  always  gave  victory,  no  matter  what  the 
odds,  if  the  men  were  true,  and  He  will  again.  He  will 
surely  raise  up  another  Samson  or  Shaingar  if  only  Israel 
deserves  to  have  them.  Father  says  that  Israel  must  re- 
pent and  turn  to  God  before  ever  a  Deliverer  can  come. 
Oh!  if  it  could  only  be  now.  How  glorious  to  take  part 
in  such  a  war.  Just  think  of  it !  Why,  I  had  rather  be 
a  Sainson  or  a  Shamgar  than  even  David  or  Solomon. 
To  take  just  your  ox  goad  or  a  jawbone  or  anything  that 
came  to  hand,  and  just  walk  in  among  those  abominable, 
heathen  Romans,  breaking  heads  and  piling  up  the  dead 
like  jack-straws." 

John  was  growing  more  and  more  excited  as  he  talked, 
walking  up  and  down,  raising  a  clenched  fist,  and  shaking 
his  black  mane  of  hair,  while  his  keen  eyes  blazed  with  a 
martial  fire,  kindled  of  a  thousand  years.  There  was  an 
answering  light  in  the  dark  eyes  of  his  companion  and  a 
quick  surge  of  sympathetic  passion  curled  his  lips  and 
expanded  his  nostrils,  but  it  was  only  for  a  moment. 

It  was  with  perfect  calmness,  if  also  with  a  little  sadness, 
that  he  made  answer.  "  You  should  not  allow  yourself  to 
get  so  excited,  John,"  he  said.  "  If  you  would  be  a  Sam- 
son or  a  Shamgar,  j'ou  must  keep  a  cool  head.  But  come, 
we  ought  to  be  moving,  if  we  get  back  before  night." 

"  Ah,  well,  I  don't  much  care  if  we  don't  get  home  to- 
night; we  can  stay  with  Addi  or  Chicoba,"  answered  John. 
"  However,"  he  added,  "  we  should  of  course  be  going," 
and  the  boys  began  the  slow  and  perilous  descent. 

As  they  reached  the  foot  of  the  cliff  a  small  animal 
jumped  out  from  a  clump  of  broom  close  at  their  feet,  and 
the  boys  sprang  after  it  in  hot  pursuit.  Dodging  here  and 
there  among  the  loose  stones  and  boulders,  the  animal  at 
length  took  refuge  in  a  crevice  of  the  rocks,  and  John  at 
once  began  poking  the  creature  with  the  staff  he  carried  in 
his  hand. 


6  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  It's  a  coney,"  he  said,  "  and  I  can  kill  It  with  my, 
staff." 

"And  why  do  you  wish  to  kill  It?"  asked  the  other. 
"  Let  me  put  In  my  hand  and  catch  It." 

"  Oh,  don't  do  that,"  said  John,  "  the  beast  will  tear 
your  hand  to  pieces ;  you  ought  to  see  what  teeth  and  claws 
they've  got." 

"  It  won't  bite  me,"  said  Jesus,  at  the  same  time  thrust- 
ing In  his  hand  and  drawing  out  carefully  the  frightened 
and  struggling  thing.  Then  he  stroked  Its  head  ten- 
derly, and  In  a  moment  It  became  quiet  and  began  nibbling 
at  a  spray  of  broom  that  Jesus  offered  It.  "  Nothing 
ever  bites  me,"  said  Jesus.  "  Once  I  put  my  hand  in  a 
hole  that  way  and  caught  a  fox.  That  was  at  Uncle 
Clopas',  and  he  said  the  fox  would  tear  my  hand  off;  but 
It  did  just  as  this  coney  has  done,  and  I  let  It  go,  as  I 
am  doing  now,"  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word  he  set 
the  little  animal  down.  It  did  not  run  away  at  once,  but 
began  nibbling  at  the  green  things  which  here  grew  In 
more  abundance. 

"  I  don't  see,"  said  Jesus,  "  how  people  can  kill  things 
just  for  fun;  it  always  seems  to  me  a  dreadful  thing. 
Though  of  course  It  Is  necessary  to  kill  the  lambs  for  sac- 
rifice, It  seems  strange  and  unnatural." 

The  place  for  which  they  had  started  was  again  lost  to 
view  behind  another  rocky  ridge,  and  while  they  were 
clambering  up  and  down  among  the  rocks  John  began 
explaining  to  Jesus  how  he  must  conduct  himself  with  the 
Essenes  whom  they  were  about  to  visit, —  how  he  must 
avoid  contact,  not  only  with  their  persons,  but  even  with 
their  tools  or  utensils,  for  that,  he  said,  would  make  them 
unclean  in  their  estimation  and  give  them  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  to  purify.  But  Jesus  said  he  knew,  for  he  had  seen 
some  of  the  Essenes  at  Uncle  Clopas',  and  Uncle  Clopas 
was  quite  inclined  to  be  one  of  them  himself. 

At  length  the  boys  came  out  where  they  could  see  and  be 


JESUS  AND  JOHN  7 

seen  of  tlie  Esscnes,  one  of  whom  at  once  came  towards 
them,  making  motions  as  if  to  warn  them  away.  But 
when  he  saw  John  and  knew  him,  he  came  on  with  a  smile 
and,  though  careful  to  avoid  their  touch,  invited  them 
cordially  to  go  with  him. 

It  was  the  hour  of  noon  when  the  company  of  Essenes 
ceased  their  labors  and  prepared  for  the  first  meal  of  the 
day.  The  company  consisted  of  about  thirty  men  and 
seven  novitiates,  boys  of  from  eight  to  twelve  years.  The 
bo^'s  were  kept  by  themselves,  and  ate  apart  from  the  oth- 
ers :  their  touch  was  pollution  to  all  higher  grades. 

There  were  several  tents  of  camels'  hair,  into  which  the 
men  all  retired, —  but  came  forth  presently  divested  of  all 
their  clothing  except  a  short  apron  about  the  loins,  and 
led  by  a  venerable  but  withered  old  man  with  long  white 
hair  and  a  monstrous  beard.  They  ranged  themselves  be- 
side the  small  mountain  rivulet  which  here  flowed  past 
and  began,  with  mumbled  prayers,  and  each  in  precisely 
the  same  form,  to  bathe  themselves  from  head  to  foot. 

This,  John  explained  to  Jesus,  they  did  winter  and  sum- 
mer in  the  morning  before  sunrise,  and  before  each  of  the 
two  meals  they  ate  each  day,  and  at  very  many  other  times 
when  they  had  happened  to  spit  to  the  left  instead  of  the 
right,  or  touched,  or  been  touched  by,  anything  cere- 
monially unclean. 

After  completing  their  ablutions  with  more  prayers,  they 
retired  again  to  their  tents,  whence  they  soon  emerged, 
each  now  clothed  in  a  single  clean,  white,  linen  garment 
that  was  held  sacred  and  was  worn  only  at  meal  times, 
each  meal  being  held  as  a  religious  sacrifice  and  served 
by  the  baker,  who  was  the  priest.  The  meal,  consisting  of 
barley  bread,  water,  one  vegetable,  and  honey,  with  a  formal 
prayer  before  and  after,  was  eaten  in  silence.  After  the 
meal  they  retired  again  to  their  tents,  where  they  resumed 
their  white  woolen  working  garments  and  went  again  about 
their  tasks. 


8  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Jesus  and  John  were  invited  to  eat  with  the  seven  boys, 
who  were  novitiates  and  ate  by  themselves;  and  in  all 
but  the  bath  and  the  change  of  raiment  they  were  very 
much  at  home,  for  the  Essenes  were  all  Jews,  differing 
mainly  in  that  they  were  more  strict  in  their  observance  of 
the  Law  and  renounced  wine  and  all  animal  food  and  all 
blood  sacrifices.  After  their  meal  Cochiba  showed  the  boys 
about  the  place,  at  the  same  time  cautiously  pressing  upon 
them  the  desirability  of  becoming  Essenes. 

First  he  showed  them  the  immense  cisterns,  a  long  row  of 
them,  cut  in  the  soft  lime  rock  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
where  the  terraces  were  being  made.  The  cisterns  were 
thirty  feet  deep  and  very  large.  Some  of  them  had  al- 
ready been  filled  by  turning  the  little  mountain  brook  into 
them ;  all  would  be  filled  that  way,  to  provide  for  the  fierce 
drought  of  the  long  hot  summer,  when  no  rain  fell.  Now 
the  men  were  all  at  work  on  the  terraces,  some  building  the 
supporting  walls  and  others,  with  baskets  woven  of  wil- 
lows, carrying  soil  that  the  stream  had  brought  down 
from  the  mountains,  up  and  on  to  the  terrace  levels,  to  cover 
thinly  the  bare  rocks.  Jesus  could  not  but  notice  that  the 
men,  and  even  the  boys,  seemed  very  sad  and  spiritless ; 
there  were  no  songs  or  laughter;  there  were  no  women  or 
children;  no  animals,  no  instruments  of  music,  or  gardens 
of  flowers, —  only  solitude  and  endless  toil. 

Then  Cochiba  took  them  to  a  large  tent,  before  which 
the  old  man  whom  he  called  Father  Menahem  was  sitting  on 
a  stone  bench,  reading  from  a  parchment  roll  of  the  Law. 
He  did  not  speak  or  look  up  for  some  time  after  they  came 
up,  but  continued  to  read  as  if  not  knowing  that  they 
were  there. 

At  length  Cochiba  spoke  with  reverence.  "  Father, 
these  are  the  children  I  told  you  of;  will  you  not  speak  to 
them  ?  "  The  old  man  raised  his  eyes  slowly  and  looked 
first  at  John  and  then  long  and  steadfastly  at  Jesus.     Grad- 


JESUS  AND  JOHN  9 

ually  his  dim  eyes  and  wrinkled  face  brightened  and  his 
whole  frame  seemed  to  swell  and  dilate. 

With  eyes  still  fixed  on  Jesus,  he  moved  his  lips  silently, 
as  if  repeating  some  secret  spell  or  incantation,  and  at  last, 
with  hand  upraised  in  benediction,  he  spoke  aloud,  "  Blessed 
be  the  womb  that  bare  thee,  and  the  paps  that  gave  thee 
suck,  for  thou  shalt  stand  for  the  fall  and  rising  again  of 
many  in  Israel,  and  for  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  for 
thou  art  beloved  of  God :  blessed  be  His  name.  And  I  see 
the  hosts  of  evil  compass  thee  about:  thou  shalt  be  tried  as 
in  the  fires  of  Gehenna.  Wo  unto  thee,  Jerusalem !  Wo 
unto  them  that  buy  and  sell  in  the  courts  of  the  Most  High, 
and  be  drunken  with  the  blood  and  the  wine  of  the  Sacri- 
fices.    Wo.     Wo.     Wo." 

The  old  man,  as  if  exhausted  with  his  effort,  bowed  his 
head  upon  his  breast,  and  though  his  lips  still  moved,  he 
spoke  no  more  aloud.  Cochiba  drew  the  boys  away  and 
told  them  that  Father  Menahem  was  a  prophet  of  great 
authority,  having  while  yet  a  young  man  foretold  the  career 
of  Herod,  and  having  often  been  summoned  by  Herod  and 
his  sons  to  explain  their  dreams  and  reveal  to  them  what  was 
to  come.  He  was  one  of  those  whom  Josephus  had  in  mind 
when  he  wrote  of  the  Essene : 

"  Consecrated  from  childhood  by  many  purifications,  and 
familiar  beyond  thought  with  the  Holy  Books  and  the  utter- 
ances of  the  prophets,  they  claim  to  see  into  the  future,  and 
in  truth,  there  is  scarcely  an  instance  in  which  their  proph- 
ecies have  been  found  false."  Cochiba  did  not  fail  to  ply 
the  boys  with  the  usual  arguments  in  favor  of  an  ascetic 
life,  and  at  last  dismissed  them  with  an  earnest  invitation  to 
come  again. 

•  •••••••• 

A  few  hours  later,  in  another  part  of  the  desert  the  same 
boys  might  have  been  seen  making  their  slow  way  over  the 
pathless  wild.     The  sun  had  set  and  the  sudden  darkness  of 


10  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  tropics  had  come  upon  them.  By  extreme  daring  and 
hardihood  they  had  descended  the  almost  perpendicular  wall 
of  a  narrow  valley,  and  were  now  walking  along  an  almost 
level  Avay,  shut  in  on  either  hand  by  bare  rocky  walls  that 
seemed  to  reach  the  sky. 

The  boys  realized  that  they  were  lost,  and  though  they 
were  yet  mere  children  they  did  not  cry  out  or  complain. 
In  the  loving  confidence  of  childhood  they  instinctively  put 
their  arms  about  each  other  and  walked  slowly  on.  Around 
and  beneath  them  were  only  the  dark  frowning  rocks,  but 
through  the  clear  desert  air  the  stars  shone  with  a  brilliance 
and  lustre  unknown  in  other  climes.  A  great  constellation 
was  blazing  over  head,  and  directly  before  them  the  distant 
east  was  flushing  with  the  rising  moon. 

"  And  He  maketh  Orion,  the  Pleiades,  and  the  Chambers 
of  the  South,"  spoke  Jesus  solemnly,  and  then  the  boys 
together  repeated  the  well-known  prayer,  familiar  to 
every  Jew.  "  Blessed  be  Thou !  Lord  our  God,  who 
through  Thy  word  didst  create  the  Heavens,  and  their  whole 
host  by  the  breath  of  Thy  mouth.  He  appointed 
them  a  law,  and  time,  that  they  should  not  go  back  from 
their  places.  Joyfully  and  gladly  they  fulfill  the  will 
of  their  Creator,  whose  workings  and  whose  works  are 
Truth.  He  spake  to  the  moon  and  commanded  her  that 
she  should  renew  herself  in  glory  and  splendor  for  those 
whom  He  has  carried  from  their  mother's  breast,  for 
they,  too,  will  be  one  day  renewed  like  her  and  glorify 
their  Creator,  after  the  honor  of  His  kingdom.  Blessed 
be  Thou,  O  Lord,  who  renewest  the  moons."  And  the 
full  moon  arose  in  her  glory  and  splendor,  filling  the  narrow 
valley  with  a  silvery  flood  of  light. 

A  thousand  feet  above  their  heads  the  chalk  cliff^s 
gleamed  white  and  shining  against  the  blue  of  heaven,  and 
lower  down,  on  the  dark  bosom  of  the  cliff^s  of  flint  and  lime, 
shone  like  jewels  scintillating  particles  of  quartz  and  spar. 
The  boys  paused  and  looked  up  In  silent  awe.     Then  they 


JESUS  AND  JOHN  11 

became  aware  of  a  change  in  the  aspect  of  things  all  round 
them.  The  thorny  cacti  of  the  desert  had  disappeared, 
and  fresh  green  herbage  grew  about  their  feet.  A  breath 
of  wind  came  laden  with  the  rich,  heavy  odors  of 
oleander  and  orange  bloom.  A  little  farther  on,  and  they 
could  see  the  dark  foliage  of  trees  and  then,  as  if  from 
the  very  body  of  the  rocky  wall,  a  deep  voice  repeating, 
"  Hear,  O  Israel !  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord,  and  thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might ;  and  these  words  which 
I  command  thee  this  day  shall  be  in  thine  heart,  and  thou 
shalt  teach  them  diligcntl}'  unto  thy  children,  and  shalt  talk 
of  them  when  thou  sittest  in  thine  house,  and  when  thou 
walkest  by  the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down  and  when  thou 
risest  up." 

The  boys  could  have  joined  in  the  pra^^er,  for  it  was 
one  repeated  by  every  Jew  twice  daily,  but  they  were  awed 
into  silence.  When  the  prayer  was  finished,  and  they  stood 
trembling,  there  was  a  movement  among  the  shrubbery 
and  then  a  naked,  hairy,  and  bearded  man  came  forth  into 
the  moonlight,  bearing  in  his  hand  a  large  gourd  filled  with 
water,  with  which  he  proceeded,  in  the  set  form  of  the  Rab- 
binic ritual,  to  bathe  himself  from  head  to  foot,  at  the  same 
time  uttering  the  set  prayer  for  the  occasion.  The  man 
appeared  entirely  absorbed  in  his  devotions,  and  did  not 
notice  the  boys  till  he  had  finished. 

Then  he  saw  them,  and  without  speaking  went  back  into 
the  shrubbery.  Presently  he  came  forth  again,  girt  with 
a  mere  apron  of  fig-leaves,  and  with  no  other  clothing. 
Having  found  that  they  were  only  lost  children,  he  blessed 
them  in  patriarchal  fashion,  and  offered  them  water  for  a 
bath,  which  they  used  in  the  usual  formal  manner.  Then 
he  invited  them  into  his  dwelling.  It  was  a  small  natural 
cave,  or  grotto,  opening  from  the  perpendicular  wall  of 
rock  and  so  dark  within,  that  the  boys  shuddered  and  drew 
back ;  finally  however,  reassured  by  the  words  and  example 


12  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

of  the  Hermit,  they  all  entered,  lay  down  on  the  stone  floor, 
and  slept. 

The  faint  light  of  earliest  day  was  stealing  into  the  cave 
when  the  boys  were  awakened  by  the  Hermit,  and  all  went 
forth  to  renewed  ablutions  and  the  same  prayers  that  had 
been  used  at  night.  The  Hermit  then  caused  the  boys  to 
sit  down  on  the  ground,  and  brought  forth  a  bag  contain- 
ing a  dark  crumby  substance  and  some  honey  in  the  comb : 
these,  with  water,  made  their  breakfast.  The  dark  crumby 
substance,  already  known  to  John  as  dried  locusts,  was  eyed 
by  Jesus  with  suspicion,  and  extreme  hunger  alone  induced 
him  to  partake  of  it. 

After  breakfast  the  Hermit  retired  to  his  cell  to  continue 
more  mortifying  devotions,  and  the  boys,  left  to  themselves, 
looked  about  them.  A  tiny  spring,  oozing  from  the  foot  of 
the  cliff,  and  the  same  in  volume  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
by  husbanding  supplied  the  wants  of  the  Hermit,  and  made 
fertile  a  few  yards  of  desert  about  the  cave.  There  was  no 
attempt  at  cultivation ;  some  more  provident  hand  may 
have  planted  the  seeds,  in  the  years  long  past,  but  the  pres- 
ent occupant  only  plucked  and  garnered.  The  orange,  the 
olive,  the  fig,  and  the  vine  yielded  their  fruits  In  their  sea- 
son, and  what  the  wild  things  of  the  desert, — ■  the  birds,  the 
coney  and  the  fox, —  left  unconsumed,  the  Hermit  gath- 
ered and  thankfully  used.  He  drove  nothing  away ;  he  con- 
tended with  none,  man,  bird,  or  beast,  but  shared  cheerfully 
with  all ;  he  neither  delved  nor  spun,  but  ate  of  the  natural 
fruits  of  the  desert  and  clothed  himself  with  leaves  and  the 
bark  of  trees ;  he  made  no  use  of  fire ;  he  had  no  occupation 
but  prayers,  mortifications,  ablutions ;  no  study  but  to  know 
the  will  of  God ;  no  reading  but  the  Law  and  the  Prophets, 
which,  as  he  truly  believed,  were  the  very  words  of  the  Most 
High.  In  these,  by  continually  dwelling  upon  them  by 
night  and  by  day  and  through  long  years,  he  found  mysti- 
cal meanings,  dark  prophecies,  and  minute  directions  for  all 


JESUS  AND  JOHN  13 

the  innumerable  details  of  life.  Every  word  of  the  sacred 
text,  even  every  letter,  had  a  mystical  signification  which 
volumes  would  be  inadequate  to  explain.  So  lived  the 
Hermit  and  Prophet  Addi  of  the  desert. 


II 


THE  YOUNG  SHEPHERD 

"  From  the  Nazareth  hills  Jesus  as  a  growing  boy  saw  daily  the 
smoke  of  burning  villages,  and  in  Joseph's  cottage,  as  in  all  others 
in  the  land,  every  heart  beat  thick  at  the  hourly  news  of  some  fresh 
story  of  blood." — Geikie. 

The  scene  is  changed  to  the  hill  country,  near  Cana  of 
Galilee.  It  is  the  home  of  Clopas,  the  uncle  of  Jesus, 
and  of  his  cousins,  James,  Thaddeus,  and  Simon.  Uncle 
Clopas  is  a  shepherd.  Jesus  in  boyhood  was  a  frequent 
and  welcome  visitor  at  this  home.  Here  amid  Arcadian 
scenes,  the  sheepfolds,  the  sheep  and  lambs,  the  grass 
and  the  flowers,  he  passed  delightful  days  and  nights,  tend- 
ing his  uncle's  sheep,  and  dreaming  youth's  dreams  of  hope 
and  happiness.  The  interchange  of  social  hospitalities 
seems  to  have  been  a  national  characteristic  among  the 
common  people  of  Palestine.  Their  few  simple  wants  and 
the  unity  of  domestic  and  religious  life  made  association 
free  and  unrestrained.  In  proportion  as  they  shunned  and 
shut  out  all  Gentile  contact,  they  sought  and  valued  the 
love  and  friendship  of  their  own. 

Jesus  and  his  mother,  after  returning  from  Hebron,  have 
gone  up  to  spend  a  few  days  with  Uncle  Clopas  and  the 
cousins  at  Cana.  It  is  yet  springtime,  and  Galilee,  the 
garden  of  the  world,  is  a  paradise.  These  rocky  hillsides, 
though  less  adapted  to  agriculture  than  the  plains  of  Es- 
draelon  and  Gennesaret,  are  very  fertile,  and  in  places,  by 
prodigious  labor,  are  terraced  with  massive  walls  of  rock 
and  cultivated  by  spade  and  mattock  to  their  summits.  The 
sheep  walks  occupy  the  most  rocky  eminences,  and  luxuriant 
gardens  of  olive,  walnuts,  vines,  apricots,  pomegranates, 

14 


THE  YOUNG  SHEPHERD  15 

and  figs  are  interspersed  with  rich  pastures  and  flowery 
meads.  The  Clopas  home  is  in  the  village  of  Cana,  and  is 
very  humble  and  lowly,  and  even  the  sheep  which  he  tends 
are  the  property  of  Simon,  the  rich  Pharisee,  who  lives  in 
Capernaum.  But  Clopas  and  his  good  wife  Mary  care 
little  for  riches:  their  children,  their  friends,  even  the 
stranger  and  the  wandering  bcggcr  are  more  to  them  than 
possessions.  Their  hospitality  is  limited  only  by  their 
means,  and  it  is  no  unconmion  occurrence  that  the  last  drop 
of  oil  and  the  last  handful  of  meal  are  bestowed  in  entertain- 
ment of  strangers.  Jesus  loved  dearly  to  visit  this  home  in 
Cana.  If  he  suffered  some  privations  there,  and  often  had 
to  roll  himself  in  his  aba  and  sleep  on  the  ground,  he  was 
more  than  compensated  by  the  kindness  that  was  shown 
him  and  by  the  opportunity  of  hearing  and  seeing  a  great 
variety  of  men  and  things.  Greeks,  Arabs  and  Roman 
soldiers,  Essenes,  and  even  the  fierce  Sicarii  or  assassins 
who  threatened  death  to  all  who  yielded  to  or  made  peace 
with  Rome,  were  made  equally  welcome  at  the  Clopas  domi- 
cile. Then,  too,  while  Uncle  Clopas  and  his  own  boys  were 
digging  and  planting  the  patch  of  ground  that  was  as- 
signed them,  Jesus  could  tend  the  sheep  in  the  mountains. 
It  was  a  task  he  enjoyed  above  all  other  employments;  he 
loved  the  sheep,  and  was  eager  to  be  alone  with  them  in  the 
free  mountain  air. 

And  so  it  is  that  we  find  him  this  beautiful  Spring  morn- 
ing, seated  beneath  a  huge,  wide  spreading,  gnarled  olive 
tree,  with  the  sheep  about  him.  Jesus  was,  while  yet  a  mere 
child,  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  Scriptures,  and  had 
imbibed,  from  a  pious  father  and  mother,  an  almost  passion- 
ate interest  in  those  great  religious  questions  which  were 
then  agitating  the  Hebrew  world, —  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah  and  the  deliverance  of  Israel.  Jesus  was  thinking 
of  these  things  now.  From  this  mountain  top  was  spread 
out  before  him  in  the  dazzling  sunlight  a  scene  that  aroused 
in  his  ardent  and  pious  soul  thoughts  and  feelings  of  noble 


16  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

impulse  and  high  endeavor  for  his  wronged  and  bleeding 
country. 

In  the  west,  not  thirty  miles  away,  arose  the  mighty  head- 
land of  Carmel,  dark  and  green  against  the  blue  of  the  sea, 
■ —  Carmel,  with  Kishon  at  its  roots,  Carmel,  on  whose  top 
the  Great  Prophet  of  Israel  had  set  up  the  altar  to  the  Liv- 
ing God  and  brought  down  fire  from  Heaven, —  Kishon, 
on  whose  banks  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  false  prophets  of 
Baal  had  been  slaughtered  by  the  implacable  Tishbite,  and 
Kishon,  where  the  iron  cars  of  Sisera  were  discomfited,  and 
whose  waters  swept  them  away.  Northward  again  in  clear 
perspective  rose  the  high  hills  of  Naphtali,  with  Kedesh, 
and  Harosheth  of  the  Gentiles,  whither  Barak  had  pursued 
the  vile  Canaanitish  host,  and  where  the  dark  Jael  had 
crowned  the  victory  by  her  ghastly  deed  of  blood.  Jesus 
was  repeating,  unconsciously,  the  song  familiar  as  a  cradle 
hymn  to  every  Jew,  "  Gilead  abode  beyond  Jordan,  and 
why  did  Dan  remain  in  ships.  Asher  continued  on  the  sea 
shore,  and  abode  in  his  breaches.  Zebulon  and  Naphtali  were 
a  people  that  jeoparded  their  lives  unto  the  death  in  the 
high  places  of  the  field.  The  kings  came  and  fought ;  they 
fought  the  kings  of  Canaan  in  Taanach  by  the  waters  of 
Megiddo ;  they  took  no  gain  of  money.  They  fought  from 
Heaven,  the  stars  in  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera; 
the  river  Kishon  swept  them  away, —  that  ancient  river,  the 
river  Kishon.  O,  my  soul,  thou  hast  trodden  down 
strength,  '  Curse  ye  Meroz,'  said  the  Angel  of  the  Lord, 
'curse  ye  bitterly  the  inhabitants  thereof,  because  they 
came  not  to  the  help  of  the  Lord   against  the  mighty.'  " 

Jesus  sat  for  some  moments  silent,  then  returning  to 
the  same  subject,  repeated:  "Why  abodest  thou  among 
the  sheep  folds  to  hear  the  bleatings  of  the  flocks.  For  the 
divisions  of  Reuben  there  were  great  searchings  of  heart." 
Jesus  was  so  absorbed  in  these  reflections  that  he  did  not  no- 
tice the  approach  up  the  mountain  side  of  a  young  girl, 
younger,  somewhat,  than  Jesus,  and  beautiful  beyond  words. 


THE  YOUNG  SHEPHERD  17 

She  paused  at  almost  every  step  to  gather  the  flowers  which 
grew  everywhere  in  profusion.  Now  her  hands  were  full 
and  she  sat  down  on  a  flowery  bank  and  wove  them  into 
garlands  of  wondrous  beauty.  With  these  she  not  only 
decked  herself  —  but  hung  wreaths  of  gorgeous  lilies  about 
the  neck  of  the  young  gazelle  that  was  with  her. 

Now,  on  the  smooth  surface  of  a  broad,  flat  rock,  obey- 
ing the  natural  impulse  of  childish  mirth  and  gayety,  she 
holds  aloft  great  wreaths  of  lilies,  and  dances,  and  as  she 
dances,  sings :  "  I  am  the  rose  of  Sharon,  and  the 
lily  of  the  valleys ;  as  the  lily  among  thorns,  so  is  my 
love  among  the  daughters  ;  as  the  apple  tree  among  the  trees 
of  the  wood,  so  is  my  beloved  among  the  sons.  I  sat  down 
under  his  shadow  with  great  delight,  and  his  fruit  was  sweet 
to  my  taste.  He  brought  me  to  the  banqueting  house,  and 
his  banner  over  me  was  love.  I  charge  you,  O  ye  daughters 
of  Jerusalem,  by  the  roes  and  the  hinds  of  the  field,  that  ye 
stir  not  up  nor  awake  my  love  till  he  please.  The  voice  of 
my  beloved,  he  cometh  leaping  upon  the  mountains,  skip- 
ping upon  the  hills.  My  beloved  spoke  and  said  unto  me, 
Rise  up,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  and  come  away,  for  the 
winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone.  The  flowers  ap- 
pear on  the  earth.  The  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is 
come,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  in  the  land.  The 
fig  tree  putteth  forth  her  green  figs,  and  the  vine  with  the 
tender  grapes  give  a  good  smell.  Arise,  my  love,  my  fair 
one,  and  come  away,  O  my  dove,  that  art  in  the  clefts  of 
the  rock,  in  the  secret  places  of  the  stairs,  let  me  see 
thy  countenance,  let  me  hear  thy  voice,  for  sweet  is  thy 
voice,  and  they  countenance  is  comely.  My  beloved  is  mine, 
and  I  am  his.  He  feedcth  among  the  lilies.  Until  the  day 
break,  and  the  shadows  flee  away ;  turn,  my  beloved,  and 
be  thou  like  a  roe  or  a  young  hart  upon  the  mountains  of 
Bcther." 

And  the  gazelle  joins  in  the  dance;  it  frisks  and  gam- 
bols, while  the  young  girl  laughs  and  sings.      No  eye  sees 


18  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

them;  no  ear  hears  them:  it  is  the  sport  of  the  Hamadry- 
ads. 

At  last  they  have  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and 
the  young  girl,  perceiving  Jesus  absorbed  in  thought,  ap- 
proaches him  stealthily  from  behind.  Now  she  has  seized 
him,  one  hand  on  each  side  of  his  head,  and  smothering  her 
laughter  calls  out  in  a  feigned  voice,  "  My  prisoner.  Tell 
me  now  who  it  is,  and  I  will  let  you  go." 

Jesus  without  turning  raises  his  hands,  and  grasping  the 
young  girl's  wrists,  one  with  each  hand,  and  forcibly  re- 
leasing himself,  turns  and  looks  on  his  fair  companion 
smilingly.  "  Ah,  you  Sibyl !  I  knew  it  was  you,  but  what 
do  ye  here.''     You're  playing  truant,  I'm  afraid." 

"  No,  indeed.  Aunt  Mary  said  I  could  come,  but  she 
didn't  want  me  to,  for,  do  you  know,  the  news  came  this 
morning,  after  you  came  away,  that  a  party  of  Roman  sol- 
diers was  cut  off  and  killed,  every  man  of  them,  by  Jacobus 
and  his  men  somewhere  near  here  only  yesterday;  and 
Aunty  was  afraid  I  would  meet  some  of  the  soldiers  who 
are  in  search  of  Jacobus.  But  they  wouldn't  hurt  me,  if  I 
did  meet  them.  I  know  one  Roman  soldier  now.  He  is  an 
officer,  and  rides  a  horse;  he  passes  our  house  often,  and 
stops  and  talks,  and  has  given  me  lots  of  things." 

While  the  young  girl  was  speaking,  Jesus  fixed  his  eyes 
upon  her  in  grave  rebuke.  "  You  had  better  look  out.  Miss 
Sibyl,  we  Jews  are  not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  Ro- 
mans! Do  your  father  and  mother  know  the  Roman  you 
speak  of,  and  do  they  talk  with  him  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  they  do,"  answered  the  girl,  lowering 
her  eyes  and  sulking. 

"  Well,  you  had  better  look  out,  it  isn't  right  for  you  to 
talk  with  Romans."  There  was  stern  rebuke  in  the  lad's 
voice  and  manner,  and  the  color  came  and  went  in  the 
young  girl's  cheeks. 

At  length,  with  pouting  lips,  she  raised  her  eyes  and  said 
petulantly,  "  I  don't  care,  this  Roman  is  nice  anyway,  and, 


THE  YOUNG  SHEPHERD  19 

see,  he  gave  me  this."  And  displaying  a  ring  of  gold  on 
her  finger,  she  raised  her  hand  filled  with  garlands,  and 
sprang  off  in  a  mazy  dance,  singing  again,  "  O !  I  am  the 
rose  of  Sharon." 

The  lambs  Avhich  had  pressed  about  her  feet  and  nibbled 
at  her  flowers  and  the  gazelle  also  sprang  away  and  gam- 
boled in  a  wild  frolic  of  spring-time  mirth.  The}^  had  no 
thought  of  being  observed,  but  at  the  moment  a  cohort  of 
Roman  soldiers,  climbing  the  steep  from  the  other  side, 
had  reached  the  summit  and  now  stood  screened  by  a  thicket 
of  wild  figs  and  walnuts,  where  they  could  see  without  be- 
ing seen. 

At  length  one  of  their  number,  a  very  young  man  but 
of  commanding  presence,  fully  armed  and  wearing  the  in- 
signia of  a  Roman  officer,  stepped  forward  and  addressed 
tliem.  "Bravo,  my  nymph!  Such  grace  and  beauty 
are  wasted  in  these  cursed  mountains.  You  are  fine  enough 
for  a  king's  palace,  and  should  go  to  Cajsarea,  where  you 
could  be  educated  and  appreciated."  The  young  girl 
ceased  her  dancing  and  singing  the  moment  she  saw  the 
Roman,  and  with  the  lambs  and  the  gazelle  huddling  about 
her  drew  away  towards  Jesus  and  stood  close  by  his  side. 

Jesus  had  arisen  at  the  first  sound  of  the  soldier's  voice 
and  stood  facing  him.  The  soldier  came  boldly  forward 
and,  without  deigning  to  so  much  as  look  at  Jesus,  placed 
a  hand  on  the  bare  shoulder  of  the  girl  and  stooped  as  if 
to  kiss  her  cheek.  It  was  a  terrible  moment !  Without 
thought  of  consequences  the  young  lad  at  once  put  out 
both  hands  and,  summoning  all  his  strength,  gave  the  sol- 
dier a  push  that,  unprepared  as  he  was  and  with  his  foot 
caught  against  a  stone,  sent  him  sprawling  down  the  steep. 
Regaining  his  feet  instantl}^  with  a  great  oath  he  rushed 
back  upon  Jesus,  who,  still  calmly  facing  him,  was  with 
one  terrible  blow  struck  bleeding  and  insensible  to  the  earth. 
The  girl  meantime,  screaming  with  fright  and  with  the 
lambs  and  gazelle  following  her,  flew  away  like  a  wild  roe 
down  the  mountain  side  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight. 


Ill 


THE  FISHERMEN  OF  GALILEE 

"  The  fishermen  and  sailors  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee  were  a  numer- 
ous and  redoubted  class,  with  something  of  the  feeling  of  a  clan." — 
Geikie. 


The  lake  of  Gennesaret  is  the  "  Eye  of  Gahlee,"  the 
*'  flashing  gem  on  the  breastplate  of  Aaron."  On  all  sides 
but  the  east,  it  is  enclosed  by  the  fairest,  most  fruitful, 
most  delightful  region  of  the  Earth,  Its  shores  are  the 
home  of  the  olive  and  the  vine;  fresh  figs  and  ripe  grapes 
may  be  gathered  ten  months  in  the  year.  The  palm,  the 
myrtle,  the  citron,  and  the  pomegranate  abound.  It  has 
innumerable  springs  of  pure  and  sparkling  water ;  its  wines 
are  called  the  nectar  of  the  gods.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  the  scene  and  inspira- 
tion of  the  Song  of  Songs.  The  shores  of  the  lake  ai'e 
teeming  with  a  population  more  dense  than  any  other  in  the 
known  world.  Its  pure  waters  are  swarming  with  fish  of 
the  choicest  kinds. 

A  race  of  sturdy  fishermen  inhabit  its  shores.  On  the  east, 
the  barren  mountains  of  the  Gaulonite  abut  precipitously, 
and  there,  in  caves  and  dens  of  wild  beasts,  amid  inaccessi- 
ble fastnesses,  the  unconquerable  successors  of  Gideon, 
Ehud,  Shamgar  and  the  Maccabees,  in  sullen  watch  defy 
the  power  of  Rome  and  maintain  the  hope  of  Israel. 

On  a  night  in  Spring,  of  the  time  of  which  we  write,  there 
is  gathered  a  party  of  fishermen  on  the  shore  of  this  lake, 
not  far  from  Capernaum.  Most  of  the  party  are  young 
men,  with  two  or  three  boys,  and  one  venerable  grey-beard, 
who  seems  to  be  the  master  and  director.  It  is  already 
midnight,  and  the  men,  weary  with  their  labors  and  dis- 
couraged by  poor  success,  have  left  their  net  piled  on  the 

20 


THE  FISHERMEN  OF  GALILEE  21 

stern  of  their  bout  and  .-ire  gathered  about  tlie  fire.  The 
boy  Jesus,  with  his  cousin  Simon,  son  of  Clopas,  and 
Uncle  Clopas  are  here. 

They  have  come  down  to  visit  and  fish  with  Father 
Joazer  and  his  son  Zebcdee,  who  are  fishermen.  The  boys 
gathered  the  sticks  for  the  fire,  and  before  it  was  dark  had 
climbed  among  the  cliffs  and  found  some  early  figs  and 
ripe  grapes.  These  lie  heaped  on  palm  and  fig  leaves  near  a 
well-filled  wine  skin,  accessible  to  all.  The  men,  sitting 
about  the  fire,  are  roasting  some  small  fish  on  rods  of 
oleander. 

It  is  a  beautiful  night,  without  a  moon  but  bright  with 
stars.  Through  the  pure  air  of  the  Orient  thc3^  draw 
more  near  and  shine  with  a  more  wondrous  light  than  in 
less  favored  climes.  The  air  is  filled  with  perfume;  the 
fire  of  cedar  wood  and  balsam  sends  forth  delightful  odors, 
and  near  at  hand,  within  the  light  of  the  fire,  great  clumps 
of  oleanders,  bending  with  blossom,  mingle  their  perfume 
with  the  cedar  and  balsam.  At  intervals,  a  moving  breath 
from  the  uplands  comes  laden  with  the  odors  of  lilies  and 
hyacinths,  and  blossoming  grapes  and  figs. 

But  listen !  One  of  the  men  is  speaking.  "  By  the 
Great  Mazar  of  Chorazin,  I  believe  that  fellow  —  and  may 
God  curse  his  grandfather,  who  sold  me  that  charm  —  was 
only  a  vile  Canaanitish  lout.  He  said  he  was  a  son  of 
Abraham,  and  that  his  name  was  Achan.  He  claimed  to 
have  learned  his  art  in  Babylon  and  of  the  Magi  that  the 
Prophet  Daniel  tells  about,  and  he  told  a  great  tale  of  what 
he  had  done  in  Egypt.  There,  he  said,  a  fisherman  who 
had  bought  one  of  his  charms  got  rich  by  it  in  a  year,  for 
he  said  that  fishes  of  all  kinds  flocked  to  his  nets  and  even 
whales  came  up  out  of  the  Great  Sea  and  allowed  themselves 
to  be  caught  without  the  least  trouble."  And  the  man, 
still  growling  out  curses  and  maledictions,  caught  up  a 
gourd  shell,  which  he  filled  from  the  wine  skin  and  drank 
off  at  a  drauffht. 


Sa  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

The  men  and  boys  seated  and  lying  about  the  fire  hsten 
with  solemn  faces  while  Joazer  makes  reply.  "  Thou  hast, 
no  doubt,  been  deceived,  Boaz,  and  thy  money  wasted,  for 
since  thy  charm  has  hung  to  our  boat's  prow  we  have 
caught  notliing.  It  was  an  evil  hour  when  thou  paidest 
thine  all  for  that  bauble,  and  thou  wilt  remember  that  I 
warned  thee." 

"  By  the  head  of  the  Prophet  Jonah,  how  was  I  to  know 
that  the  charm  was  not  magical.?  "  And  again  our  Boaz 
goes  off  into  a  fit  of  cursing  the  false  charm  vendor  and 
all  his  ancestors  down  to  Adam.  "  I'll  put  no  more  trust 
in  charms,"  he  continued,  "  I'd  trust  more  to  the  Great 
Mazar  of  Chorazin  than  to  any  charm,  or  Teraphim.  I've 
not  been  there  now  in  a  long  time  because  I  thought  there 
was  some  good  in  the  charm,  and  that's  the  cause  of  all 
our  ill  luck.     I'll  go  to  Chorazin  to-morrow." 

Again  Joazer.  "  Thou  wouldst  do  better  to  turn  thy 
face  to  Jerusalem  and  pray  to  Jehovah, —  blessed  be  His 
name, —  than  to  trust  in  either  charms  or  Mazars." 

"  That's  all  very  good,"  answered  Boaz,  gruffly,  "  we 
all  'pray  often  enough,  but  you  know  yourself, —  and 
I've  heard  you  say  so, —  that  Zebedee  here,  when  a  small 
lad,  was  cured  of  sore  eyes,  by  being  taken  to  the  grove  at 
Chorazin,  and  that  things  like  the  Teraphim  of  Rachel  and 
Micah  and  the  divining  cup  of  Joseph  are  beyond  price, 
if  once  you  could  lay  hands  on  them." 

Already  the  cry  of  what  seemed  a  wild  water  fowl  had 
come  floating  in  from  far  out  in  the  lake,  but  only  Jesus, 
whose  eyes  had  been  all  the  time  fixed  dreamily  on  the  ex- 
panse of  waters,  had  heard  it.  Now,  as  it  sounded  again, 
he  turned  and  asked  the  young  man  nearest  to  him,  "  What 
is  it,  Jehu?  " 

Many  of  the  others  heard  the  question,  and  all  listened 
breathless  till  again  the  wild,  weird  cry  came  floating  in, 
distinct  and  clear. 

"  Jacobus  and  the  rest,  by  my  head !  "  exclaimed  Jehu, 


THE  FISHERMEN  OF  GALILEE  23 

starting  up,  and  putting  his  hands  to  his  mouth  he  imi- 
tated perfectly  the  sound  they  had  heard.  All  eyes  were 
now  fixed  on  the  lake.  Jehu  added  some  fresh  fuel  to  the 
fire,  and  the  leaping  flames,  driving  back  the  shadows, 
brought  out  with  wonderful  distinctness  every  line  and 
feature  of  the  strange  group  about  the  fire.  Its  dazzling 
glare  was  reflected  from  rock-wall  and  boulders  and  re- 
vealed, looming  dark  out  of  the  shadow,  the  jagged  but 
still  massive  ruins  of  an  ancient  Canaanitish  tower,  one  that 
had  been  taken  and  demolished  by  Joshua  in  the  olden  time. 
In  the  close  foreground  the  boat  of  the  fishermen,  drawn 
up  lightly  on  the  sands,  with  the  great  net  piled  on  its 
stern,  we  can  see  distinct  in  the  blazing  light ;  and  beyond, 
receding  gradually  from  dazzling  light  into  utter  dark- 
ness, lies  the  mystery  of  the  sea. 

In  the  breathless  silence,  the  sound  of  muffled  oars  is 
heard;  then,  after  an  interval,  the  straining  eye  perceives 
on  the  edge  of  darkness  the  black  hull  and  flashing  oars  of 
a  craft  swiftly  approaching.  And  now  we  can  see  the 
forms  of  men  laboring  at  the  oars,  and  the  glint  of  pol- 
ished steel,  and  then  they  are  with  us  about  the  fire,  par- 
taking with  hearty  welcome  of  our  fisher's  fare  and  talking 
gravely  in  low  tones.  What  men  they  are!  Clothed 
scantily  with  skins,  armed,  bearded,  and  hairy,  with  the 
thews  and  sinews  of  sons  of  Anak!  They  remind  us  of 
Joab,  and  Abner,  and  the  Pelcthites.  Four  of  these  young 
men  are  the  sons  of  Judas,  the  grandsons  of  Ezekias. 
They  will  all  be  crucified  or  hewn  in  sunder,  and  their  chil- 
dren after  them,  going  down  like  falling  stars  in  the  holo- 
caust of  the  last  days.  Under  their  vigorous  attack,  the 
last  fish,  the  last  crumb  of  barley  bread  has  soon  disap- 
peared,—  and  the  wine  skin  is  empty. 

The  party  have  all  seated  themselves  about  the  fire 
save  one,  and  him  you  have  noted  from  the  first  as  the 
leader.  Cold  and  deliberate  in  manner,  with  only  the 
flashing  eye  to  reveal  the  fire  that  burns  within,  he  towers 


U  JEStrS  OF  NAZARETH 

among  his  fellows  like  Saul  among  the  thousands  of  Israel. 
It  is  Jacobus,  the  renowned  "  robber,"  upon  whose  head 
the  Romans  have  put  a  price.  He  eats  nothing  but  barley 
bread,  and  drinks  no  wine.  His  black  mane  of  hair  falls 
in  heavy,  wavy  masses  to  his  bare  shoulders,  and  we  may 
know  that  he  is  a  Nazarite;  he  is  dedicate,  and  set  apart. 
All  wait  for  him  to  speak.  At  last,  Jacobus  addresses 
Joazer. 

"  How  long,  O  Father  of  Zebedee,  wilt  thou  halt  be- 
tween two  opinions ;  are  the  young  men  Zebedee  and  Jehu 
to  go  with  us,  or  no  ?  "  There  was  a  tone  of  censure  in 
the  voice  of  Jacobus,  and  the  old  man  met  it  with  some  re- 
sentment. 

"  Be  it  known  unto  thee,  thou  son  of  Judas,  that  Zebedee 
and  the  rest  are  of  age ;  ask  them." 

"  Such  teaching  ill  becomes  thee.  Father  Joazer,"  an- 
swered Jacobus,  sternly.  "  The  commandment  with  a 
promise  is  the  last  one  a  true  Israelite  should  forget ;  the 
honor  due  a  father  does  not  terminate  with  the  putting  on 
of  the  Tephillin." 

Joazer  poked  the  fire  with  his  staff,  sending  up  a  cloud 
of  sparks,  but  he  did  not  answer. 

Jacobus  continued :  "  Men,  indeed,  are  the  great  need 
of  the  hour,  but  we  want  no  deserters  or  runaways.  Now, 
as  in  the  time  of  Gideon,  it  is  not  numbers  that  count. 
Shall  Zebedee  go?  " 

Tlie  fire  shining  full  in  the  old  man's  face  revealed  the 
distress  that  his  voice,  too,  betrayed.  "  It  needs  not,"  he 
said  at  last,  "  that  I  repeat  what  I  have  told  thee  so  often, 
that  my  heart  and  soul,  like  that  of  every  true  man  in 
Galilee,  is  with  thee  wholly.  It  is  impossible  that  any  true 
son  of  Abraham  should  not  wish  thee  all  that  thy  heart 
desireth.  But  the  sins  of  Israel  are  too  many  and  too 
great.  God  has  veiled  his  face  from  us,  and  we  must  bow 
our  necks  to  the  stroke.  If  thy  grandfather  Ezekias  and 
Judas,  thy  father,  both  mighty  men  and  with  armies  at 


THE  FISHERMEN  OF  GALILEE  25 

their  backs,  could  not  prevail,  how  thinkest  thou  with  thy 
handful  to  do  anything?  Thou  art  but  as  a  handful  of 
grasshoppers,  flying  towards  the  sea,  to  be  swallowed  up 
in  its  waves.  The  heathen  indeed  rage,  and  the  people 
imagine  a  vain  thing." 

Jacobus,  who  alone  remained  standing,  did  not  answer 
for  some  time,  and  the  Sphinx-like  immobility  of  his  in- 
tense Jewish  face  did  not  alter;  his  eyes  seemed  fixed  and 
far  away ;  there  was  a  hush,  as  in  the  chamber  of  death. 

"  Is  it  numbers  that  give  victory?  "  he  asked  at  length; 
"  we  of  this  wicked  and  adulterous  generation  forget  that  it 
is  Jehovah  who  is  all,  and  man  nothing.  We  shut  our  eyes 
to  the  whole  history  of  Israel,  from  the  crossing  of  the 
Red  Sea  to  the  present  hour;  never  at  any  time  was  it 
numbers  that  delivered  Israel.  Our  sins  are  indeed  many 
and  great ;  for  ten  righteous  would  God  have  saved  Sodom ; 
by  three  hundred  men  with  Gideon  He  destroyed  the  host 
of  jNIidian.  Even  by  one  man  who  was  faithful  has  He 
often  saved  His  people.  Remember  Samson,  Ehud,  and 
Shamgar.  God  never  forgets  his  own.  Talk  not  of  the 
sins  of  Israel :  who  is  without  sin  ?  Who  among  men  sinned 
as  did  David?  And  yet  God  loved  him  because  he  trusted 
in  Him.  God  betrays  no  trust !  Let  us  only  trust  in  God, 
and  the  Romans  shall  flee  before  us,  as  the  grasshoppers 
upon  the  hills." 

There  was  a  silence  of  some  minutes,  while  every  listener, 
with  head  bent  low,  gazed  motionless  upon  the  dying  fire. 
Jesus  and  Simon,  looked  from  one  to  another  of  those  about 
them  in  wonder. 

At  length  Joazer  spoke  again.  "  Your  words,  O  son  of 
Judas,  are  words  of  truth  and  soberness ;  none  can  make 
answer.  That  the  Messiah  will  surely  come  doubtcth  no 
man,  nor  that  his  time  is  near  at  hand ;  but  until  He  comcth 
the  heathen  will  prevail.  What  though  like  Judas  the  Mac- 
cabean  thou  shouldst  drive  out  the  Roman,  as  did  he  the 
Syrian,  and  enlarge  the  border  of  Israel  and  make  clean  the 


26  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

inheritance  of  Jacob, —  it  is  Shiloh  alone  who  can  restore 
and  establish.     The  Maccabean  ended  in  Herod." 

"  And  why  did  the  Maccabean  end  in  Herod,"  asked 
Jacobus.  "  Because  he  "would  he  king.  From  the  days 
of  Saul,  the  son  of  Kish,  the  Lord  is  wroth  when  a  king  is 
set  up,  and  His  wrath  consumed  them  when  David  num- 
bered the  people.  Shall  the  heathen  Roman  number  us  and 
escape  unscathed.''  Shall  God  be  mocked.''  No  king  but 
Jehovah,  no  tax  but  to  the  Temple,  no  friend  but  he  who 
upholds  this  law,  is  what  God  requires.  This  is  the  Law 
as  it  came  from  God's  hand  at  Sinai,  and  as  long  as  they 
kept  it  who  stood  before  Israel.'^  From  Avhom  did  they 
flee.''  God  does  not  change;  He  is  the  same  yesterday,  to- 
day, and  forever. 

"  If  for  ten  righteous  God  would  have  saved  Sodom, 
for  lack  of  a  host  shall  he  destroy  Israel.''  And  who  are 
they  who  sa}"^  nay  to  this  I  speak.''  Who  have  set  aside  the 
word  of  God  for  the  word  of  man  and  put  tradition  above 
the  express  command .''  Is  it  not  they  who  wear  soft  rai- 
ment and  live  in  king's  houses ;  who  buy  and  sell  their 
brethren,  the  sons  of  Abraham ;  who  pray  in  the  streets, 
and  in  their  closets  contrive  how  they  may  devour  the 
widow  and  the  orphan ;  who  pay  tithes  and  Roman  imposts 
and  parade  their  gifts  into  the  treasury,  and  then  extort 
from  the  poor  far  more  than  all  they  pay  or  give.''  It  is 
these  who  prove  by  their  traditions  that  the  touch  of  one 
like  us  is  to  them  pollution,  that  an  egg  laid  on  the  Sabbath 
Day  is  unclean,  and  that  the  washing  of  hands  is  more  than 
judgment  and  mercy  and  brotherly  love." 

Another  long  pause,  and  again  Joazer :  "  These  are 
hard  sayings,  O  son  of  Judas,  and  not  to  be  denied.  God 
will  surely  deliver  His  people;  but  when,  knoweth  no  man. 
Now  He  has  veiled  His  face  from  us.  He  sees  not  our 
shame;  He  hears  not  our  cry.  Time  was  when  the  very 
sons  of  Aaron,  offering  strange  fire,  were  struck  dead  be- 
side the  altar;  now  the  heathen   Pompey,  in   armor  and 


THE  FISHERMEN  OF  GALILEE  27 

bearing  the  abomination  of  images,  may  force  his  way  be- 
3'ond  the  veil  and  lay  his  sword,  stained  with  Jewish  blood, 
upon  the  very  altar  of  God. 

"  Time  was,  as  you  say,  when  one  could  chase  a  thou- 
and,  and  two  put  ten  thousand  to  fliglit ;  but  it  seems  no 
longer  so.  Your  grandfather  was  a  holy  man  and  had  a 
following  of  thousands,  each  man  as  devoted  as  were  the 
three  hundred  who  went  down  with  Gideon,  and  they  were 
all  slain.  And  there  was  the  noble  Athronges  and  his  four 
brethren,  who,  with  all  that  were  with  them,  were  cut  down 
like  the  grass.  And  again,  your  own  father,  a  holy  man, 
whom  many  believed  to  be  the  true  JVIessiah,  with  a  noble 
army  and  all  the  spoils  of  Sepphoris  in  his  hand,  went 
down  like  the  rest, —  the  soil,  given  by  God  to  their  fathers, 
soaking  their  blood.  Could  I  forget  the  past  and  all  these 
eyes  have  seen,  it  might  be  different.     Forget !  — " 

And  the  old  man  reached  out,  clutching  the  air  with  his 
bon}^  hands,  Avhile  the  wrinkles  deepened  into  furrows  on 
his  parchment  face,  and  his  glittering  eyes  were  raised  to 
Heaven  In  Imprecation.  "  Forget!  "  he  repeated.  "  No 
Israelite  forgets!  He  only  zcaits.  Could  I  forget  the 
crosses  stretching  for  miles  along  the  road, —  three  thou- 
sand of  them,  with  neighbors,  friends,  brothers,  and  a 
father  writhing  there  In  agony !  My  father  seven  da3fs 
alive!  Can  I  forget  going  there  at  midnight  with  my 
mother  to  give  him  drink,  and  seeing  the  heathen  guard 
thrust  her  through  with  a  spear?  Thinkest  thou,  O  son  of 
Judas,  that  Joazer  forgets?  " 

Again  there  was  silence,  broken  at  last  by  Joazer  again. 
"  Israel  has  indeed  fallen  upon  evil  days,  and  the  measure 
of  his  woe  Is  not  yet  full.  Doth  not  the  Scripture  teach 
that  there  shall  first  be  famines  and  pestilences,  and  signs 
in  the  sky,  —  wars,  and  the  dead  lying  unburied,  the  food 
of  dogs ;  and  then  will  Emmanuel  come,  we  know  not  the 
time.  One  thing  only  Is  sure:  God's  promises  never  fail; 
the  Messiah  will  come." 


28  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  The  Messiah  is  here  now!  " 

"  It  is  the  Bath  Quol,"  murmured  Boaz,  looking  wildly 
round. 

These  words,  clear,  distinct,  sonorous,  fell  upon  the  lis- 
tening group  like  a  voice  from  the  sky,  Jesus,  who  had 
arisen  while  Joazer  was  speaking,  now  stood  before  the  fire, 
listening  intently.  The  current  idea  of  the  coming  Mes- 
siah was  not  new  to  him,  for  he  had  heard  it  discussed  in 
his  own  home  and  at  Uncle  Clopas'  from  his  earliest  recol- 
lection. It  was  in  the  daily  thoughts  and  prayers  of  all 
Jews,  whether  they  lived  in  Jerusalem  or  were  scattered  to 
tlie  ends  of  the  earth. 

"  The  Messiah  is  here  now!  " 

When  the  men  about  the  fire  heard  these  words  and  looked 
up,  their  eyes  fell  first  upon  the  figure  of  the  young  lad 
standing  before  the  fire ;  its  glow  shone  full  upon  him  and, 
with  the  added  light  of  the  breaking  dawn,  illuminated  his 
speaking  face,  shedding  a  glory  upon  his  youthful  beauty 
that  none  who  saw  ever  forgot.  There  were  tears  in  his 
eyes,  and  the  expression  of  his  glowing  face  was  absorbed, 
intense,  and  utterly  unconscious  of  being  observed. 

A  shock,  as  from  a  lightning  flash,  thrilled  through  the 
group  of  men  about  the  fire,  and  they  gazed  awe-stricken 
upon  the  lad.  A  moment  later  a  dark-robed  figure  ap- 
proached the  fire  and  gravely  saluted  them ;  all  rose  at 
once,  and  turning  towards  the  new-comer  with  bowed  heads 
repeated  the  formula,  "  May  your  peace  be  great." 

It  was  the  Rabbi  Sadduc,  and  all  waited  for  him  to 
speak :  "  Knowing  you  all  as  I  do,  and  hearing  the  last 
words  of  Joazer,  as  I  could  not  help  doing,  I  cannot  err  in 
supposing  that  you  have  been  talking  of  the  Christ  and  his 
coming.  And  I  said,  '  He  is  here  now.'  It  is  well  known 
to  you  all  that  I  have  made  this  subject  the  study  of  my 
life,  and  in  answer  to  my  prayers  the  Holy  One, —  forever 
blessed  be  His  name, —  has  revealed  to  me,  me,  Sadduc  the 


THE  FISHERMEN  OF  GALILEE  29 

unworthy,  that  somewhere  here,  or  among  the  dispersed  of 
Israel,  the  Saviour  of  His  people  now  lives."  All  listened 
intently,  and  the  venerable  man  went  on  to  show,  quoting 
from  ancient  writings  and  traditions,  that  the  time  was  at 
hand. 

"  Moreover,"  he  concluded,  "  even  the  heathen  have  re- 
ceived their  warning;  they  have  seen  the  writing  upon  the 
wall  and,  like  Belshazzar,  they  quake  and  tremble  before 
the  coming  of  the  Lord.  Listen !  Yesterday  among 
the  people  of  a  caravan  traveling  from  Damascus,  while 
resting  at  noonday  at  the  well,  I  happened  upon  the  Rabbi 
Samuel,  a  man  of  authority,  both  in  Jerusalem  and  at 
Rome,  where  he  is  a  chief-ruler  among  the  Jews,  and  this 
I  received  from  him  : 

"  A  short  time  ago,  while  traveling  by  ship,  from  Joppa 
to  Rome,  his  ship  was  strangely  becalmed  while  off  Corfu. 
For  a  long  time  it  seemed  immovnbl}'  fixed  in  one  place,  and 
at  last,  when  the  stillness  had  become  very  oppressive 
and  while  all  the  passengers  and  sailors  were  on  deck, 
watching  and  waiting,  they  heard  a  loud  voice  calling  to 
the  Egyptian  helmsman  Thammus,  and  it  bade  him  say 
when  he  got  to  Palades  that  the  Great  God  Pan  was  dead. 
This  the  helmsman  did  when  they  got  to  Palades ;  and  at 
once  there  arose  a  great  sound  of  crying  and  of  grief  in 
the  air  and  from  all  the  shores,  insomuch  that  all  were  as- 
tonished and  some  fell  down  and  lay  like  men  dead. 

"  And  the  Rabbi  said  further  that  the  great  Roman 
writer  Virgil,  who  is  counted  a  great  prophet  among  the 
Latins,  has  written  of  Him  who  is  our  hope,  and  says  that 
He  is  now  here.  Further,  the  Rabbi  declared  that  in 
Egypt  that  obscene  bird  of  Trammuz,  the  ancient  Phoenix, 
has  appeared  again,  and  for  the  last  time ;  and  even  the 
Augurs  of  Rome,  he  says,  admit  that  the  m^'stcrious  bird 
is  to  bear  away  the  expiring  age,  and  that  all  things  are 
to  become  new." 

So  intense  was  the  interest  in  the  Rabbi's  words  that  no 


30  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

one  noticed  the  dawn  brightening  into  day,  and  all  were 
startled  by  the  distant  note  of  the  horn  sounding  from  the 
Synagogue  at  Capernaum,  summoning  the  people  to 
prayer.  A  moment  later,  and  more  near,  the  blare  of  a 
Roman  trumpet  announced  that  a  cohort  was  thus  early  on 
the  road  from  Sepphoris.  All  arose  to  their  feet,  and,  led 
by  the  Rabbi,  turned  their  faces  towards  Jerusalem,  and 
with  bowed  heads  and  hands  upon  their  breasts  repeated  to- 
gether the  well  known  prayer. 

While  they  were  praying  the  rim  of  the  sun  peeped  above 
the  far  mountains  of  Bashan,  and  a  shaft  of  dazzling  light 
shimmered  along  the  dark  surface  of  the  lake  and  illumined 
the  stern  faces  of  the  praying  group. 


IV 

NAZARETH 

"  God  could  not  be  everywhere,  and  therefore  He  made  mothers." — 
Jewish  Pkov?;rb. 

The  celebration  of  the  Passover  in  the  time  of  Jesus 
took  place  at  Jerusalem  in  tlic  month  of  April.  It  was  the 
most  honored  of  all  the  fiftj^-nine  feast  days  that  the  Jews 
then  kept  each  year  in  Jerusalem,  and  was  the  most  largely 
attended.  It  celebrated  the  natal  day  of  the  Jewish  peo- 
ple and  was  to  them  not  only  what  the  fourth  day  of  July 
is  to  Americans,  but,  more  and  greater,  it  was  the  religious 
festival  which  commemorated  the  sealing  of  God's  promises 
to  Abraham.  It  was  a  holiday  and,  what  is  more,  a  holy 
day. 

Moreover,  the  first  day  of  the  seven  days'  Feast  of  Un- 
leavened Bread  and  the  Feast  of  First  Fruits  was  also  the 
Passover.  Every  male  Jew  of  lawful  age  whose  health 
and  condition  at  all  permitted  was  expected  to  attend  this 
Feast.  Women  and  children  were  not  discouraged  from 
coming,  and  hence  the  immense  numbers  that  crowded  to 
Jerusalem  at  this  time.  Josephus  declares  that  there  were 
often  three  million  people  assembled  and  two  hundred  and 
fifty-six  thousand  lambs  sacrificed  in  one»day  at  the  Tem- 
ple. When  it  is  remembered  that  Jews  from  all  over  the 
known  world  came  to  this  Feast,  and  that  the  popula- 
tion of  Palestine  itself  was  extremely  dense,  the  numbers 
given  are  not  incredible.  Of  course  the  greater  number 
of  those  attending  were  from  Palestine,  and  the  distance 
required  to  be  traveled  by  the  most  remote  sojourners  in 
the  extreme  north  was  scarcely  one  hundred  miles,  while 
populous  Galilee  and  Nazareth  itself  were  distant  from 
Jerusalem  but  about  sixty  miles. 

31 


32  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

It  is  to  the  home  of  Jesus  in  Nazareth  that  we  now  jour- 
ney. The  Feast  of  the  Passover  is  approaching,  and  here, 
as  in  every  other  Jewish  home  throughout  the  world,  the 
question  of  going  up  to  Jerusalem  is  being  discussed.  It 
is  the  time  of  the  evening  meal,  the  principal  one  of  the 
da}^,  and  all  are  present,  gathered  about  the  one  seething 
pot  of  herbs  and  vegetables  that,  together  with  black  barley 
bread  and  a  dish  of  curdled  milk  for  each,  makes  up  the 
meal. 

It  is  a  narrow,  cramped  house,  low,  one-roomed,  and  one- 
story,  with  no  furnishing  to  speak  of,  except  a  great  chest, 
heavy,  iron-bound,  and  having  the  marks  of  extreme  age. 
It  contains  the  sacred  rolls,  genealogical  records,  and  family 
heirlooms  that  have  been  handed  down  from  father  to  son 
through  many  generations. 

The  family  consists  of  the  father,  Joseph,  a  thin,  spare, 
aquiline  man  of"  fifty,  already  wrinkled  and  gray,  with 
hard  hands  and  stooped  shoulders ;  the  mother,  Mary,  fresh, 
young,  and  fair,  with  a  peaceful  air,  calm,  cheerful,  and 
pleasing;  there  are  brothers  and  sisters,  all  older  than 
Jesus,  the  children  of  Joseph  by  a  former  marriage.  They 
are  James  and  Jude  and  Michal  and  Doris.  A  pet  lamb, 
given  to  Jesus  by  Uncle  Clopas,  completes  the  household. 

"  I  am  sorry  we  could  not  go  to  camp  wnth  the  rest." 
It  was  Mary's  mild  remark  to  her  husband,  while  the  girls, 
Michal  and  Doris,  were  clearing  away  the  few  supper 
dishes. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  woman,  I  have  told  you  so  many  times 
that  I  didn't  see  how  we  could  go  at  all,  this  time ;  how  can 
you  persist  in  your  design?  "  The  good  man's  face  was 
set  and  hard,  and  though  he  evidently  tried  to  speak  kindly 
his  voice  betrayed  the  irritation  of  one  worn  and  tired. 

"  Yes,  I  know  it  is  rather  hard  for  us,  but  you  remem- 
ber we  didn't  go  up  to  the  Feast  of  Dedication  or  of  Taber- 
nacles, or,  indeed,  to  any  feast  at  all,  the  whole  year,  for 
we  said,  surely  we  will  go  up  to  the  Passover  when  Jesus  is 


NAZARETH  33 

of  age.  The  elder  children  can  stay  at  home  and  do  the 
Avork,  and  you  certainly  need  the  change  and  rest."  The 
woman  paused  and  hesitated,  and  then  continued :  "  If 
only  you  would  go  and  take  Jesus,  I  could  stay  at  home, 
too.     Would  you  do  that  way?  " 

"  No !  no !  Thou  shalt  go  if  any  one,"  answered  Jo- 
seph. "  It  is  more  to  thee  than  to  any  one  else.  I  would 
be  glad  if  we  all  could  go :  it  is  God's  own  appointed  Feast. 
But  if  the  good  Lord, —  and  blessed  be  His  name, —  has 
allowed  the  heathen  to  take  away  the  stay  and  the  staff,  the 
whole  stay  of  bread,  and  the  whole  stay  of  water,  if  He  has 
brought  that  day  upon  us  when  a  man  shall  take  hold  of  his 
brother,  of  the  house  of  his  father,  saying,  '  Thou  hast, 
clothing,  be  thou  our  ruler,  and  let  this  ruin  be  under  thy 
hand,'  when  Jerusalem  is  ruined  and  Judah  fallen  because 
their  tongue  and  their  doings  are  against  the  Lord,  to 
provoke  the  eyes  of  His  glory,  will  not  He  forgive  if  we 
go  no  more  up  to  see  the  desecration  of  His  holy  Temple.''  " 

"  Remember,  my  husband,  it  is  not  for  us  to  sit  in  judg- 
ment, but  only  to  obe3\  Was  it  not  the  obedience  of  our 
Father  Abraham  that  brought  the  promise  to  His  chil- 
dren .'*  "  The  woman  spoke  firmly  but  mildly,  at  the  same 
time  laying  her  hand  on  her  husband's  arm. 

"  Thou  art  indeed  another  Hannah,  and  deservest  to  be 
blessed,  my  Mary ;  but  the  real  truth  is  that  we  have  no 
money  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  the  poor  ass  that 
shouldst  carry  thee  and  the  gift, —  alas,  I  am  pained  to  tell 
thee !  —  but  this  day,  as  I  fared  homeward  with  the  ass 
laden  with  my  carpenter  tools,  I  passed  the  stall  of  Shu- 
nam,  that  vile  Publican.  He  hailed  me,  and  demanded  a 
shekel,  so  he  said,  for  selling  woolen  yarn  spun  by  my 
wife  and  daughters.  He  knew  it  was  but  yesterday  I 
paid  him  my  last  penny  to  mend  the  bridges,  as  he  said,  so 
those  who  go  up  to  the  feast  could  pass.  And  so  it  is  each 
year:  he  makes  demand  to  mend  the  ways  and  all  the  poor 
are  mulcted,  but  yet  the  ways  arc  left  unmended.     And 


34  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

now  to-day,  as  I  had  nothing  left,  he  took  ©ur  good  young 
ass  and  gave  me  in  exchange  an  ass  so  old  and  broken, 
wheezy  and  lame,  that  it  would  be  shame  to  lay  any  gift 
for  God's  altar  upon  it,  and  we  should  be  more  than  ever 
hooted  at  by  the  Samaritans,  and  even  the  rude  boys  of 
Jerusalem.  Thou  wilt  not  forget  how  we  were  called 
Amhaaretz  even  by  the  servants  of  the  High  Priest  when 
we  last  went  up  to  the  Feast." 

Joseph's  words  were  listened  to  with  deep  attention  by 
all,  and  Jesus,  with  his  lamb  by  his  side,  went  and  stood  by 
his  father,  and  took  hold  of  his  mother's  hand;  there  was 
in  the  boy  an  air  of  intense  interest  and  a  sad,  longing, 
wistful  look  in  his  great  eyes  as  he  fixed  them  steadfastly 
upon  his  father. 

The  mother  put  a  loving  hand  on  his  head,  smoothed 
back  the  wavy  mass  of  hair,  and  stooped  to  kiss  the  pallid 
brow.  *'  Father  forgets  sometimes  that  his  boy  cannot 
bear  to  hear  such  stories,"  she  said  soothingly,  "  but  our 
son  must  learn  to  rise  above  such  things,  and  remember  that 
the  best  and  bravest  of  Israel  have  been  poor." 

"  I  don't  mind  being  poor.  Mother ;  but  for  you  and 
Father  to  suffer  such  insults  and  abuse !  I  don't  want  to  go 
up  to  Jerusalem,  and  why  need  we.^  May  we  not  worship 
God  here  at  Nazareth  as  well  as  at  Jerusalem.''  Don't  you 
remember  how  the  Lord  loved  and  prospered  Israel  in  the 
days  of  Samuel,  when  there  was  no  Temple,  and  offerings 
were  made  almost  anywhere  .f*  I  wish  we  didn't  have  to  go 
to  Jerusalem." 

"  It  is  God's  appointed  way,  my  son.  We  cannot  be 
excused,  even  if  there  are  abominations  at  Jerusalem,  and 
even  if  there  be  priests  who  do  not  always  just  as  they 
should.  They  are  the  anointed  of  the  Lord,  and  min- 
ister in  His  Holy  Temple:  it  is  not  for  us  to  criticise,  but 
only  to  obey." 

The  mother  kissed  again  fondly  the  brow  of  her  son  and 
smiled  upon  him  proudly.     No  one  spoke  for  a  time,  and 


NAZARETH  35 

Joseph  sat  with  fixed  face,  grimly  staring  at  the  rotting 
door-post,  where  the  sacred  Mezuzah  had  been  nailed  time 
out  of  mind.  At  length  the  mother  continued.  "  As  for 
the  expense  of  going,  the  gift,  and  all,  the  girls  and  1  have 
provided.  The  tax  demanded  of  you  to-day  was  for  yarn 
really  sold  by  us  and  we  cannot  deny  it.  The  wool  we  got 
of  brother  Clopas,  and  spun  it  here  at  home,  and  now  we 
have  two  shekels  and  five  farthings  which  we  have  saved 
up  for  this  very  purpose, —  and  the  lamb  for  the  sac- 
rifice, Jesus,  I  am  sure,  will  let  us  have  his  in  a  case  so  ur- 
gent? "  And  the  mother  with  both  hands  turned  the  boy's 
face  up  to  hers,  looked  smilingly  into  his  eyes,  and  again 
kissed  him. 

One  hand  of  Jesus  was  resting  on  the  lamb,  which  was 
pressing  close  to  his  side  and  nibbling  at  the  hem  of  his 
garment.  The  boy  did  not  answer  but,  stooping,  gath- 
ered the  lamb  in  his  arms,  sat  down  on  a  low  stool,  and 
hovered  over  it  with  a  mother's  fondness.  The  lamb  laid 
its  head  on  its  young  master's  breast  and  closed  its  eyes  in 
perfect  content. 

Again  it  was  the  mother  who  broke  the  silence :  "  We 
must  remember  that  sacrifice  is  the  primary  law  for  God's 
people.  It  began  with  the  giving  up  of  the  only  son  by 
our  Father  Abraham,  and  we  know  not  where  it  will  end. 
All  first  fruits  are  dedicate,  and  then  if  Jesus  is  to  be- 
come a  Rabbi  we  cannot  longer  delay  his  going  up  to  hear 
the  wise  words  of  the  good  Hillel,  and  being  instructed  in 
the  true  way." 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM 

"  Every  one  wore  festal  clothes  and  not  a  few  carried  garlands 
and  wreaths  of  flowers.  Different  bands  united  as  they  passed  on, 
and  flutes  struck  up  as  the  cavalcade  moved  on  to  the  chant." — 
Geikie. 


It  is  the  day  before  the  Passover,  and  the  great  company 
of  pilgrims  from  Nazareth,  Cana,  and  their  neighborhood 
have  come  to  a  halt  in  that  narrow  valley  known  to  mod- 
erns as  Ain  el  Haramie.  It  is  but  a  short  distance  out 
from  Jerusalem;  but  by  camping  here  for  the  night  the 
grand  entry  into  the  Holy  City  may  be  made  in  the  morn- 
ing with  due  solemnity  and  form. 

It  is  yet  early  afternoon,  and  there  is  ample  time  for  the 
women  and  maidens  and  young  gallants  to  make  ready 
their  ornaments,  and  to  prepare  their  finest  apparel  for  the 
great  event  of  the  coming  day.  Among  the  thousands  that 
literally  fill  the  narrow  valley  and  swarm  along  the  road- 
way far  and  near  it  would  seem  a  hopeless  effort  to  try  to 
find  our  acquaintances  of  Galilee,  if  any  of  them  perchance 
are  here.  They  may  be  far  up  the  valley  or  further  along 
towards  Jerusalem  or,  perhaps,  not  yet  come  up.  But 
stop !  Who  is  that  giant  standing  to  the  left  against  that 
rocky  wall,  with  the  descending  sun  shining  full  in  his 
face ;  he  is  dressed  in  sheep  skins,  with  right  arm  and  shoul- 
der bare  like  a  shepherd  of  the  Jauran,  and  he  carries  his 
shepherd's  crook.  But  the  face  and  figure,  the  giant  stat- 
ure, and  the  mane-like  hair  falling  about  his  shoulders  are 
not  easily  forgotten.  Yes,  it  is  Jacobus,  surely,  and  there 
too  are  the  Rabbi  Sadduc,  Father  Joazer,  Zebedee  and  Jehu 
and  Boaz,  and  many  others  with  them  whom  we  have  not 
seen  before.     Yes !  and  there  are  Joseph  and  Mary  his  wife, 

36 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  ST 

and  Jesus  with  his  lamb.  How  frightened  the  poor  thing 
is  by  the  crowd  and  the  noise,  pressing  in  fear  against  his 
young  master. 

If  we  push  our  way  through  the  crowd  and  draw  closer, 
we  may  learn  more  of  this  compan3\  That  fine  Arabian 
mare  which  its  Arab  groom  is  so  carefully  washing  from 
dust  and  road  stains  is  the  property  of  the  rich  man  of 
Capernaum,  Simon  the  Pharisee  as,  also,  those  sleek,  well- 
fed  mules  the  servants  are  unloading ;  and  the  great  camel, 
with  its  superb  houdah  and  its  trappings  of  silver  and  gold 
ornaments  and  tinkling  bells  of  silver,  is  the  one  on  which 
his  wife  and  baby  ride.  The  driver  is  also  an  Arab,  and 
there  are  some  Greeks  among  his  large  retinue.  The  great 
tent  of  pure  Egyptian  linen,  made  in  coloi's  of  snow-white, 
blue,  and  saffron,  with  fringes  of  purple  and  gold,  is  his ; 
and  that  is  Simon  himself,  with  a  roll  of  the  Law  in  his 
hand,  reclining  luxuriously  on  his  divan  in  the  opening  of 
his  tent ;  and  there  is  Potiphar,  his  Egyptian  steward,  who 
is  salaaming  respectfully  before  him  to  receive  his  orders. 

And  now,  with  much  shouting  to  clear  a  way  through 
the  crowd,  appears  a  man  leading  a  large  camel  laden  with 
wood,  brought  all  the  way  from  Mount  Tabor  and  belong- 
ing, with  the  camel,  to  Simon.  Another  servant  leads  a  fat 
ox  for  the  Temple  sacrifice.  The  load  is  very  heavy,  and 
the  poor  camel  groans  while  it  kneels  for  the  servant  to  un- 
load the  wood.  Some  of  it  is  for  use  here,  where  a  fire  is 
already  being  kindled  in  front  of  Simon's  tent,  and  some 
for  roasting  the  Passover  lamb  in  Jerusalem.  It  is  an  ex- 
pense that  only  the  rich  can  afford,  and  the  fire  before  Si- 
mon's tent  is  to  show  his  hospitality  and  to  invite  an  even- 
ing concourse  of  the  Bathanim  to  pay  their  court  to  him. 

The  tent  next  to  Simon's  is  that  of  Jairus,  the  ruler  of 
the  synagogue  at  Capernaum,  but  it  is  of  plain  camels' 
hair,  and  not  so  large  and  pretentious  as  that  of  Simon, 
with  far  less  retinue  and  display, —  the  modest  and  orderly 
establishment  of  a  well-to-do  merchant  and  householder. 


38  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Let  us  turn  now  to  seek  our  humbler  acquaintances  of 
Nazareth  and  the  lake  shore.  Yes,  here  thej  are,  against 
the  wall  of  rock  where  we  saw  Jacobus  standing;  his  tall 
figure  still  marks  the  spot  like  a  tower  among  cottages. 
There  are  a  few  small  tents  of  coarse  cloth,  but  the  greater 
part  of  the  multitude  are  without  shelter  of  any  kind,  and 
will  sleep  on  the  ground  without  other  covering  than  the 
scant  clothing  they  wear.  There  are  a  few  sorry-looking 
donkeys,  with  flesh  galled  by  the  rough  cords  with  which 
their  heavy  burdens  have  been  bound,  and  among  them  the 
poor  creature  which  Joseph  was  forced  to  take  in  exchange 
from  Shunam.  A  number  of  boys  are  gathered  about  it, 
laughing  and  jeering,  while  Jesus  is  washing  its  wounds 
and  feeding  it  with  handfuls  of  grass  gathered  by  the  road- 
side. 

The  sun,  though  not  yet  down,  has  ceased  to  shine  in  the 
rocky  gorge  of  Haramie  and  the  shadows  are  deepening. 
The  Pilgrims  have  taken  their  evening  meal.  Simon,  with 
Jairus  and  a  few  other  invited  friends,  have  supped  sump- 
tuously. The  flesh  of  quails  and  kids,  fresh  fruits  from 
Jericho,  and  wines  from  Hebron  —  it  is  not  an  elaborate 
feast,  such  as  Simon  would  present  to  guests  at  home,  but 
yet  in  strong  contrast  to  the  scanty  fare  of  the  great  ma- 
jority of  those  around  him. 

There  is  such  scarcity  of  wood  that  few  fires  are  to  be 
seen,  and  these  are  of  rich  men,  who,  like  Simon,  have 
brought  their  fuel  with  them ;  but  there  is  little  complaint 
and  much  jollity.  If  we  look  within  the  tents  of  Simon 
and  Jairus  and  all  the  large  tents  of  the  rich  and  well- 
to-do,  we  shall  see  all  the  young  girls  donning  their  gala 
dress  and  ornaments  amid  a  babel  of  voices. 

Meanwhile  a  level  space  in  front  of  Simon's  tent  has  been 
cleared  and  made  smooth,  and  Simon  himself  has  taken 
position  on  an  elevated  divan.  And  now  at  last  the  con- 
fused sounds  within  the  tents  are  stilled  and  a  bell  rings. 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  39 

Simon  gives  a  signal  to  the  tall,  bearded  Israelite  at  his 
side,  who  puts  a  silver  horn  to  his  lips  and  blows  a  clear, 
mellow  note  that  sounds  afar;  similar  horns  also  sound  in 
the  distance  and  others  follow,  still  farther  away. 

At  once  from  the  tents  of  Simon  and  Jairus  issue  a  com- 
pany of  young  girls,  resplendent  in  ornaments  and  gaudy 
fabrics,  and  arrange  themselves  in  a  semicircle,  facing  the 
divan  of  Simon.  The  daughters  of  the  chief  men  are  here, 
some  the  fairest  in  the  land.  All  alike  wear  the  head-dress 
of  coins,  with  flowers  everywhere, —  wreaths  and  coronets 
and  fustoons  of  lilies,  oleanders,  orchises,  and  the  odorous 
hcnnah,  the  clustering  camphire  of  the  Song  of  Songs. 
Of  ornaments  there  is  much  variety, —  gold,  and  silver,  and 
beautifully  colored  glass  made  into  necklaces  and  bracelets. 
Nose-rings  and  even  anklets  with  tinkling  bells  are  visible, 
for  the  lower  legs  are  bare,  as  are  the  left  shoulders  and 
breasts.  Light  sandals  of  red  morocco  protect  the  bare 
feet. 

When  all  is  arranged,  from  the  center  of  the  group  the 
tallest  and  most  beautiful  steps  out  and,  throwing  herself 
at  the  feet  of  the  Great  Man,  says,  "  Rabbi,  it  is  com- 
manded by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  as  delivered  unto  us  by 
Jeremiah,  His  Holy  Prophet :  Thou  shalt  again  be  adorned 
with  thy  tabrets  and  shall  go  forth  in  the  dances  of  them 
that  make  merry.  If  it  will  please  thee.  Rabbi  and  Master, 
these  of  thy  household  will  obey  the  command." 

"  It  is  well,"  answers  Simon.  "  Go  forth,  my  children, 
and  praise  the  Lord,  as  did  David  of  old,  in  the  song  and 
in  the  dance." 

Meantime  a  company  of  young  men,  arrayed  in  their 
finest  apparel,  with  tabrets,  flutes,  harps,  cj'mbals,  and 
castanets,  have  ranged  themselves  beside  the  trumpeter  of 
Simon,  and  with  him  strike  up  and  play  as  the  dance  be- 
gins. First,  hand  in  hand  in  a  circle,  the  dancers  move 
slowly,  singing,  "Praise  ye  the  Lord,"  as  in  the  14«6th 
Psalm.    Gradually  the  movement  is  increased  till  it  becomes 


40  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

rapid,  when  suddenly  the  leader,  who  at  first  bowed  her- 
self at  the  feet  of  Simon,  breaks  away  from  the  others,  and 
with  one  hand  holding  aloft  a  gilded  tambourine,  fringed 
with  silver  bells,  and  with  the  other  dispersing  with  inde- 
scribable grace  the  gauzy  drapery  of  her  apparel,  begins, 
—  all  still  singing, —  a  new  movement  of  intricate  wind- 
ings and  bewildering  turnings.  The  beholder  is  entranced 
by  the  billowy  heave  and  swell  of  graceful,  swaying  bodies, 
the  spray-like  tossing  of  bare  arms,  the  flash  of  dark,  inno- 
cent eyes  unconscious  of  their  beauty,  and  red  lips  singing 
unfeigned  praises  to  God.  Many  of  the  spectators  join 
in  the  song,  and  nearly  all  clap  their  hands  and  make  noisy 
demonstrations. 

Conspicuous  in  the  first  rank,  and  near  as  possible  to  the 
dancers,  are  some  of  our  acquaintances  of  Galilee,  and  par- 
ticularly noticeable  are  the  shaggy,  towering  figure  of 
Jacobus,  and  close  by  his  side,  the  lad  Jesus ;  these  do  not 
join  in  the  singing,  or  clapping  of  hands ;  though  evidently 
interested,  and  even  absorbed,  they  make  no  demonstra- 
tion. Jesus  still  has  the  lamb  by  his  side,  but  is  unconscious 
of  its  presence  and  is  rapt  away,  as  would  seem,  in  wor- 
shipful adoration. 

But  who  is  this  leading  figure  among  the  dancers,  whom 
our  eyes  involuntarily  fasten  upon,  and  follow  more  than 
all  else?  We  may  notice  that  Jesus  and  Jacobus  and  the 
rest  all  follow  her  with  their  eyes  more  than  they  do  oth- 
ers; is  it  because  she  is  more  beautiful,  more  graceful  and 
skillful  than  the  others ;  because,  in  addition  to  her  grace 
and  beauty,  there  is  about  her  an  expression  of  uncon- 
scious, child-like  innocence  and  purity .''  Perhaps  !  and  yet 
it  seems  as  though  we  had  seen  her  before.  When,  and 
where  ?  Ah,  yes !  We  remember !  She  it  is  who  was 
with  Jesus  on  the  mountains  with  the  flocks  of  Clopas.  It 
is  the  same  Mary,  the  niece  of  Clopas,  and  now  the  servant 
of  Simon,  Mary  of  Magdala. 

When  the  dancing  is  ended,  it  is  almost  dark ;  lamps  are 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  41 

lighted  in  and  about  the  great  tents  and  fires  are  kindled. 
Simon  and  Jairus  and  all  the  Bathanim  put  on  their  phy- 
lacteries and  the  Hazan,  called  up  by  Jairus,  leads  ofF  in  the 
appropriate  religious  service,  which  is  much  like  that  held 
every  day  in  all  synagogues :  first,  silent  prayer,  all  stand- 
ing, then  the  Reader,  having  put  on  his  Tallith  with  the 
fringes,  mutters  the  prescribed  prayer  that  every  child  is 
taught  to  use  whenever  this  garment  is  put  on.  Then  fol- 
low other  set  prayers,  the  reading  of  the  texts  and  passages 
of  Scripture,  the  chanting  of  the  Psalms,  and  the  repeat- 
ing by  the  whole  congregation  of  the  Shema  and  the 
eighteen  Benedictions.  It  is  a  long  and  apparently  a 
wearisome  service;  but  attention  docs  not  seem  to  slacken, 
and  the  congregation  lingers,  apparently  unsatisfied.  At 
a  sign  from  Jairus,  the  Reader  turns  to  Simon  and  pre- 
senting him  the  roll  of  the  Law,  asks  obsequiously,  "  Will 
not  the  Master  favor  the  people  with  the  words  of  his  wis- 
dom?" 

Evidently  Simon  is  not  averse  to  the  proposition  and 
without  delay  and  without  rising  begins :  "  '  My  Son, 
fear  thou  the  Lord  and  the  king,  and  meddle  not  with 
them  that  are  given  to  change.'  This  passage  from  the 
Proverbs  of  the  wise  King  is  very  applicable  to  our  own 
times.  Much  discontent  has  been  manifested  in  Israel  with 
our  present  rulers,  and  especially  with  the  numbering  of 
the  people ;  but  it  is  written  by  Moses  in  the  book  of  Num- 
bers as  a  command  of  God :  '  From  twenty  years  old  and 
upward,  all  that  are  able  to  go  forth  to  war  in  Israel,  thou 
and  Aaron  shall  number  them  by  their  armies,'  and  again  in 
Proverbs  it  is  said :  *  An  evil  man  seeketh  only  rebellion, 
therefore  a  cruel  messenger  shall  be  sent  against  him  ' ;  in 
Exodus  it  is  Avritten :  '  Thou  shalt  not  revile  the  gods, 
nor  curse  the  rulers  of  thy  people.'  " 

With  the  first  words  of  the  preacher  a  deep  silence  fell 
upon  the  congregation,  a  silence,  and  witli  it  a  chill.  As 
he  proceeded,  far  back  in  the  crowd  a  swelling  hum  of 


42  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

voices  began  to  be  heard,  and  nearer,  in  the  light  of  the 
fire  and  of  the  lamps,  there  were  many  dark  Jewish  faces 
scowling  with  awakening  wrath. 

"  Curse  not  the  king,  no,  not  in  thy  thought,"  continued 

the  preacher,  "  and  curse  not  the  rich  in  thy  bed  ch ." 

The  last  word  remained  unfinished,  for  a  rotten  egg  thrown 
with  unerring  aim  by  some  Zealot's  hand  far  back  in  the 
crowd  struck  the  preacher  square  on  the  mouth,  followed 
by  a  perfect  hail  of  similar  missiles,  sticks,  and  even  stones, 
and  accompanied  by  a  tumult  of  angry  shouts  and  cries. 

And  now,  in  a  moment's  lull,  a  might}^  voice,  that  rings 
and  swells  and  echoes  along  the  rocky  gorge :  "  No  king 
but  Jehovah ;  no  tax  but  to  the  Temple ;  no  master  but 
God !  "     The  divan  of  Simon  is  closed. 

When  Jesus  lay  down  on  the  ground  that  night  near  his 
father  and  mother  he  could  not  sleep.  On  this  journey  to 
Jerusalem  he  was  continually  seeing  and  hearing  things 
which  so  wrought  and  stirred  him  up  that  he  found  little 
rest.  Now  from  the  rear  of  Simon's  tent  came  a  contin- 
uous low,  rumbling  sound,  and  in  the  same  direction  he 
could  see  the  reflection  of  a  fire.  All  about  him  the  people 
were  sleeping  tranquilly.  He  arose  and  made  his  way  to- 
wards the  fire.  Back  of  the  great  tents  some  distance  he 
came  upon  the  cause  of  the  sound  he  had  heard  and  the  fire 
whose  reflection  he  had  seen.  Quite  a  company  of  slaves 
of  both  sexes  were  gathered  here,  and  among  them  Jacobus 
and  Jehu.  The  men  servants  were  busy  grinding  grain  with 
small  mill  stones  which  they  turned  by  hand.  The  women 
had  pots  and  kettles  of  water  on  the  fire  and  were  occupied 
with  washing  and  ironing  the  white  garments,  napkins,  and 
table  linen  needed  by  the  families  of  Simon  and  Jairus  on 
the  coming  day. 

They  all  appeared  very  tired  and  despondent ;  there  were 
no  songs,  or  words  of  cheer,  only  sighs,  bitter  complainings, 
and  curses.    Jesus  spoke  to  several  by  name,  and  one  old  man 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  43 

who  appeared  very  weak  and  exhausted  he  almost  forcibly 
relieved  from  grinding  at  the  mill,  turning  it  himself  till  the 
task  was  done.  This  work  at  the  mill  was  wearisome  labor, 
and  slaves  were  put  to  it  in  the  time  of  Abraham,  to  whom 
the  custom  hud  been  handed  down  by  the  ancient  Accadians 
from  remotest  time.  The  mighty  Samson,  put  to  the  task 
by  the  Philistines,  found  it  bitter  enough,  and  with  Milton 
to  speak  for  him  laments  his  cruel  lot : 

"  To  grind  in  Ijrazen   fetters,  under  task, 
Eyeless,  in  Gaza,  at  the  mill  with  slaves." 

In  Jesus'  time  there  had  been  no  change;  nor  has  there 
been  any  since, —  the  same  mills,  the  same  grains,  the  same 
system  of  producing  Dives  and  Larazus  In  an  endless  chain ; 
the  poor  woman,  the  bondsman,  and  the  debtor,  old  and 
broken  at  forty,  are  grinding  to-day  at  the  mills  of  Jericho 
as  they  did  when  the  rams'-horns  of  Joshua  smote  its 
mighty  walls  in  sunder. 

When  the  grinding  was  done  and  the  clothes  washed  It 
was  near  midnight,  and  all  were  tired, —  some  so  exhausted 
that  they  had  fallen  asleep  with  hands  still  upon  the  han- 
dle of  their  mills.  One  poor  woman  with  a  babe  had 
fallen,  overcome  with  sleep,  in  a  very  cramped  and  uncom- 
fortable position  near  the  fire,  with  the  babe  tugging  at 
her  empty  breast.  Jesus,  when  he  saw  her,  carefully 
straightened  out  her  limbs,  and  covered  her  with  a  ragged 
cloth  that  lay  near;  the  woman  moaned,  and  clutched  the 
baby  closer,  but  did  not  awaken. 

The  news  that  Jacobus  was  here  had  been  secretly  spread 
about  and  there  was  a  considerable  company  gathered 
about  the  fire.  Achan  the  peddler  was  there,  ph'ing  his 
trade ;  for  poor  and  destitute  as  all  the  company  were,  they 
managed  to  find  means  to  provide  themselves  with  charms 
and  amulets  and  such  cheap  jewelry  as  Achan  displayed. 
There  was  also  a  company  of  Gibeonites  from  the  moun- 
tains, carrying  wood  for  fuel  to  Jerusalem.     Jesus  had  no- 


44  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ticed  them  when  they  came  in  about  night-fall,  staggering 
painfully  under  their  great  crushing  loads.  The  wood 
carriers  were  nearly  all  women  and  girls,  with  a  few  boys  of 
about  Jesus'  age. 

Jesus  pitied  them,  and  so  found  them  out  and  talked  with 
them  when  they  first  came  up,  and  after  hearing  their 
story  told  them  about  Jacobus.  He  found  that  the  wood- 
carriers,  though  their  lives  were  very  hard  and  laborious, 
were  not  bondsmen,  but  free,  and  lived  in  dens  and  caves 
in  the  mountains  about  Gibeon.  They  had  to  pay  for  their 
wood,  though  gathered  with  great  toil  and  danger  from 
steep  mountain  sides,  and  also  a  tax  on  every  load  that  was 
brought  within  the  gates  of  any  city  or  town ;  besides,  in 
Jerusalem  they  were  often  beaten  and  despoiled  by  the  ser- 
vants of  the  rich  dealers  in  wood  because  the  latter  wanted 
all  the  profits  themselves.  These  wood-carriers  never  had 
meat  to  eat,  but  lived  for  the  most  part  on  locusts  and  the 
coarse  fruit  of  the  carob  tree. 

When  all  were  gathered  about  the  fire,  every  eye  was 
turned  upon  Jacobus,  for  many  of  them  knew  him,  and  the 
unuttered  oath  of  the  most  desperate  one  died  in  his  throat 
before  the  calm,  rebuking  glance  of  the  Great  Chief. 
"  May  God's  peace  be  with  you  all,"  he  said  at  length. 
"  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  could  speak  with  any  of  you,  and 
now  I  can  little  more  than  repeat  what  I  have  said  so  often 
before :  Have  patience !  Wait !  God's  vengeance,  like  His 
justice,  waits  long,  very  long,  sometimes ;  but  it  is  sure. 
It  is  coming!  " 

"  But,  master,  what  good  will  the  coming  you  speak  of 
do  to  us,  the  poor,  the  debtors,  and  the  bondsmen  ?  "  asked 
one.  "  We  will  have  to  fight  and  many  of  us  to  die,  and  if 
we  win  it  will  only  be  a  change  of  masters ;  we  already  suffer 
more  from  Jewish  taskmasters    than  from  Roman  taxes." 

There  was  stern  rebuke  in  the  face  of  Jacobus  as  he 
answered  severely :  "  Call  no  man  Master !  God  alone  is 
Master;    and    for   that    thou    sayest,    that    such    as    thou 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  45 

wilt  gain  nothing,  it  is  to  sucli  alone  that  the  prom- 
ises are  made.  The  Messiah,  whose  coming  is  at  hand, 
is  himself  to  be,  as  the  prophet  Isaiah  saith,  '  a  man 
of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief;'  neither  will  he 
come  with  chariots  and  horsemen,  like  one  great  and  rich, 
but  as  Zcchariah  declares  *  riding  upon  an  ass,  even  upon  a 
colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass.'  And  again  in  Isaiah  it  is  said  of 
Him  that  '  He  shall  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek, 
bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captive, 
and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound.' 
'  He  is  sent,'  as  Isaiah  says,  '  unto  them  that  mourn  in  Zion, 
to  give  unto  them  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for 
mourning,'  and  nowhere  is  it  said  that  the  great  or  the  rich 
or  the  proud  shall  be  partakers  of  his  glory." 

A  silence  followed,  and  then  one  asked :  "  But  when, 
O  Jacobus,  are  these  things  to  be.''  "  To  which  Jacobus 
answered  by  repeating  what  we  have  already  heard  told 
by  Sadduc  to  the  fishermen,  and  he  further  explained  from 
Daniel  how  the  sixty-nine  weeks  were  about  to  be  accom- 
plished, repeating  also  long  passages  from  the  books  of 
Enoch  and  Esdras,  the  Psalms  of  Solomon,  and  the  Book 
of  Jubilees. 

It  was  very  late  when  Jacobus  ceased  speaking,  and  the 
fire  had  smouldered  to  ashes.  All  the  girls  and  boys  except 
Jesus  had  gone  to  sleep,  but  many  of  the  older  ones,  with 
grim,  set  faces,  still  listened  intently. 

"  Watch  and  pray  and  faint  not,"  said  Jacobus,  as  he 
turned  away,  "  and  be  ye  ready  when  the  trumpet  sounds 
from  the  mountains  of  Bashan."  At  the  moment  someone 
stirred  the  fire,  and  the  dying  embers  sent  up  a  lurid  flame 
that  shone  in  the  faces  of  the  bearded  and  grizzly  men  and 
the  haggard,  care-worn  women,  revealing  with  ghastly  dis- 
tinctness the  forms  of  the  sleepers.  A  fair  young  girl 
among  the  wood-carriers  had  fallen  asleep  on  her  .load. 
Tears  had  made  furrows  through  the  road  dust  on  her  olive 
checks,  and  the  stains  of  blood  were  on  the  bare  shoulders 


46  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

where  the  cords  had  bound  her  load.  As  the  fire-hght 
flashed  full  upon  her,  she  turned  and  moaned  and  opened 
her  eyes  to  meet  the  gaze  of  Jesus  fixed  upon  her  in  pitying 
love.  She  thrilled  at  his  glance,  and  the  wondrous  ej^es 
that  looked  down  into  hers  she  never  forgot. 

When  Jacobus  and  his  companions  departed  Jesus  went 
with  them ;  and  as  they  passed  along  Jacobus  put  his  hand 
on  Jesus'  shoulder  and  said,  "  Thou  shouldst  be  one  of  us, 
my  son." 

Jesus  answered,  "  I  do  not  yet  know." 

Meantime  the  Passover  Pilgrims  were  pouring  into 
Jerusalem  through  every  gate  and  all  the  highways 
were  thronged.  The  road  leading  northward  from  the 
Damascus  gate,  draining  as  it  did  most  populous  Galilee, 
was  crowded  with  Pilgrims.  Side  by  side  with  the  mer- 
chant prince  from  Damascus,  Alexandria,  or  Antioch,  look- 
ing down  haughtily  from  his  luxurious  houdah  and  at- 
tended by  a  numerous  retinue  of  servants  and  slaves, 
trudged  the  skin-clad  shepherd  of  the  Hauran,  driving  the 
flocks  of  his  master  to  be  sold  for  the  Temple  sacrifice. 
Pharisee  and  Sadducee,  Priest  and  Levite  were  here,  each  in 
proud  separation  from  the  common  herd;  furloughed  sol- 
diers from  Sepphoris  and  Csesarea;  despised  publicans 
from  the  marts  of  Galilee ;  robbers,  bandits,  and  zealots 
from  the  fastnesses  of  Perea ;  peddlers  of  amulets  and 
charms ;  fruit  and  wine  vendors ;  pimps  and  harlots  im- 
pelled by  the  desire  to  obtain  absolution  for  past  sins,  and 
to  procure  indulgence  for  sins  to  come. 

There  are  also  great  numbers  of  Galilean  fishermen  in 
the  throng.  They  were  very  numerous  in  Jesus'  time:  we 
read  of  them  fifty  years  later  attacking  the  capital  city  of 
Tiberias,  plundering  the  palace  of  Antipas,  and  fighting 
Vespasian  himself  in  a  great  naval  battle  on  the  waters  of 
Galilee.  Like  all  fishennen  since  time  began,  they  are 
bold,  hardy,  and  warlike,  but  ignorant,  superstitious,  and 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  47 

clannish.  This  company  of  them,  with  whom  we  see  Boaz 
and  Jehu  and  Zebedce,  all  wear  short  swords  and  daggers 
under  their  abas,  and  their  talk  abounds  in  argot  peculiar 
to  their  lal^e  and  their  calling.  This,  with  their  open  pro- 
fanity and  general  air  of  "  uncleanness,"  puts  a  gap  be- 
tween them  and  the  gorgeous  retinue  of  this  merchant 
Prince  Sanballat  from  Damascus,  who,  mounted  on  a  su- 
perb dromedary,  rides  abreast.  Unlike  the  shepherds  and 
poor  peasantry,  these  fishermen  seemed  not  to  be  overawed 
by  pretentious  splendor ;  they  indulge  like  boisterous  school- 
boys in  free  badinage  with  the  Prince's  servants,  and  ogle 
the  carelessly  veiled  maids  and  women  attendants,  even  star- 
ing openly  at  this  other  robed  figure  who,  with  an  attendant 
maid,  rides  in  the  Prince's  retinue.  Her  camel  is  even 
more  richly  caparisoned  than  the  Prince's  own,  and  she 
herself  is  gorgeously  appareled.  She  reclines  upon  cush- 
ions, Tyrian-dyed  and  spangled  with  fringes  of  gold,  and 
is  screened  from  the  sun  by  a  curiously  inwrought  baldachin 
of  silken  fabric  that  cost  its  weight  in  gold. 

Through  the  open  basketwork  of  her  houdah  may  be  seen 
her  small  bare  feet,  the  toes  flashing  with  precious  stones 
and  her  ankles  circled  with  rings  of  rare  design  and  work- 
manship. From  time  to  time  her  veil  is  allowed  to  be 
blown  aside,  revealing  a  bold,  haughty  face  of  the  IMoabite 
cast,  painted  and  rouged,  with  ear  and  nose  rings  of  gold, 
and  heavy  necklaces  with  pendants  of  pearls. 

"  By  the  Splendor  of  God,"  said  Boaz  to  his  compan- 
ions, "  she  is  no  daughter  of  Israel ;  she  has  been  bought 
with  a  price." 

"  Aye,"  answered  Jehu,  "  and  by  the  Temple  of  God  she 
will  be  found  in  the  Court  of  the  women  offering  sacrifice, 
and  will  eat  of  Paschal  Lamb  as  if  she  came  from  the  purest 
stock  of  Jacob.  By  the  horns  of  the  Great  Altar,  I  like 
not  such  proselyting." 

The  throng  is  becoming  more  and  more  dense  as  we  ap- 
proach   Jerusalem,    and    the    roads    more    crowded.      San- 


48  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ballat's  armed  retainers  have  thus  far  been  able  to  clear  a 
way  for  the  Great  Man,  and  many  a  humble  Israelite  of  the 
purest  blood,  from  David  and  Aaron  down,  has  been  rudely 
jostled  and  cuffed  and  his  poor  belongings  overturned  and 
scattered  by  these  hired  partisans.  The  poor  peasantry 
are  helpless  against  impositions  and  even  violence,  and  give 
way  without  resistance  or  protest.  Not  so  with  the  Gal- 
ilean fishermen.  Jacobus  and  his  three  brothers  have  now 
joined  them,  and  together  they  make  a  band  not  lightly 
to  be  provoked. 

"  Give  way  and  fall  back  yourselves,  if  you  do  not  like 
our  company,"  cries  Boaz,  boldly  facing  Sanballat's  hench- 
men, who  with  their  spears  are  pricking  back  the  multitude, 
that  the  Great  INlan  and  his  household  may  pass. 

"  Back !  back !  you  unclean  dogs.  Have  you  no  rever- 
ence for  a  Master  in  Israel  ?  " 

"  May  God  curse  thy  great  grandfather,  fellow,  for  that 
speech !  "  growls  Jehu. 

"  We  know  no  Master  in  Israel  but  God." 

"  And  at  least  we  have  as  much  right  to  the  way  as 
Moabite  harlots  and  Ishmaelite  spearsmen,"  adds  Zebedee. 

But  with  the  crowd  mainly  passive  and  even  the  fisher- 
men somewhat  awed  and  on  the  defensive,  Sanballat's  ret- 
inue continues  to  force  its  way  ahead  and  is  soon  lost  to 
sight  in  the  throng. 

A  considerable  distance  forward  another  scene  charac- 
teristic of  the  times  is  being  enacted.  Jerusalem,  though 
still  distant,  is  in  full  view,  with  its  walls  and  battlements 
and  towers,  its  splendid  palaces,  and,  above  all,  its  Temple 
of  God,  whose  huge  bulk  and  lofty  domes  and  towers  of 
clear,  white,  polished  marble  and  plates  of  purest  gold 
glancing  in  the  sun  kindle  in  every  Jew  the  fires  not  only 
of  religious  devotion  but  of  patriotic  love.  With  this  glo- 
rious sight  coming  into  view,  the  vast  concourse  of  Pilgrims 
has  begun  the  chant,  accompanied  by  the  sound  of  flutes 
and  other  instruments,  of  those  songs  of  degrees  sung  by 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  49 

the  choirs  of  David  in  the  first  Temple.  "  I  will  lift  up 
mine  eyes  unto  the  hills,  from  whence  cometh  my  help. 
My  help  cometh  from  the  Lord,  which  made  heaven  and 
earth." 

While  the  song,  in  which  ten  thousand  voices  join,  is  be- 
ing sung,  a  squadron  of  Roman  cavalry  is  approaching  from 
an  intersecting  by-path.  The  standard  bearer,  in  advance, 
shouts  fiercely  to  the  crowd  of  Pilgrims  to  open  a  way,  and 
the  trumpeter  sounds  a  loud,  warning  blast  on  his  trumpet ; 
but  the  crowd  seems  like  a  flock  of  sheep  threatened  by 
wolves,  dazed  and  terrified, —  and  with  only  time  for  a  par- 
tial scattering,  a  wild  and  hasty  crowding  this  way  and 
that,  the  great  war  horses,  without  slackening  their  hard 
trot,  crush  through  the  defenceless  throng  and  disappear 
towards  Joppa  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 

For  a  moment  tlie  Song  of  Ascent  is  silenced,  and  bitter 
execration,  mingled  with  screams  and  groans,  takes  the 
place  of  song ;  but  as  no  Scribe  or  Rabbi,  no  person  of 
rank  or  quality,  has  been  injured,  only  a  score  or  so  of 
poor  peasants,  the  unclean  rabble,  the  affair  is  of  small 
account.  Our  friend  Simon  the  Pharisee  is  close  at  hand 
and  connnands  that  the  march  be  at  once  resumed  and  the 
song  continued.  "  For,"  as  he  remarks  to  Jairus,  who  is 
at  his  side,  "  the  service  of  the  Lord  is  more  to  be  consid- 
ered than  the  lives  of  a  few  peasants,"  and  he  strikes  up 
again :  "  I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  *  Let  us  go 
into  the  house  of  the  Lord.'  Our  feet  shall  stand  within 
thy  gates,  O  Jerusalem." 

Meantime  the  friends  of  the  dead  and  wounded,  and  of 
those  whose  goods  have  been  broken  and  scattered,  are 
doing  what  they  can.  There  are  some  with  bruised  and 
broken  limbs,  a  few  are  dying,  and  one  is  already  dead. 
Joseph,  with  Mary  and  Jesus,  is  here, — ■  Joseph  with  a 
ghastly  wound  upon  the  temple,  and  Mary  with  her  dress 
torn  and  disordered,  and  the  poor  ass  knocked  helpless, 
never  more  to  rise.     Close  by,  a  poor  Gibeonite  woman  is 


50  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

sitting  upon  her  load  of  wood  and  holding  in  her  arms  her 
dead  boy.  His  breast  lies  bare  in  the  sunshine,  plainly  re- 
vealing the  spot  where  a  war-horse's  iron  heel  has  crushed 
his  heart.  It  is  pollution  for  the  churchly  Jew  to  touch  a 
dead  body,  much  more  a  despised  Gibeonite ;  and  so  Simon 
and  Jairus  pass  by,  singing  the  songs  of  Zion  without  even 
turning  their  eyes  upon  the  sickening  scene.  Following 
close  upon  Simon  and  his  retinue  comes  Sanballat  and  all 
his  train.  They,  too,  are  singing :  "  If  it  had  not  been 
the  Lord  who  was  on  our  side,  now  may  Israel  say,  if  it 
had  not  been  the  Lord  who  was  on  our  side,  when  men  rose 
up  against  us,  then  they  had  swallowed  us  up  quick,  when 
their  wrath  was  kindled  against  us.  Then  the  waters  had 
overwhelmed  us,  the  stream  had  gone  over  our  soul.  Then 
the  proud  waters  had  gone  over  our  soul.  Blessed  be  the 
Lord,  who  hath  not  given  us  as  a  prey  to  their  teeth." 

But  Sanballat  does  not  pause,  and  there  is  no  pity  in  his 
eye;  his  singers  and  flute-pla3'ers  are  of  the  loudest  and 
clearest,  and  they  look  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left. 
And  now  come  on  Jacobus  and  his  brethren  and  the  fisher- 
men of  Galilee.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation  they  stop, 
and  turn  aside.  "  By  the  very  God  of  Israel,"  groAvls 
Jacobus,  "  had  we  been  here  the  Roman  Avould  have  paid 
dear  for  this."  There  is  much  swearing  and  cursing 
among  these  rude  fishermen,  but  with  active  and  efficient  aid 
they  help  to  gather  up  the  scattered  goods.  The  fruit- 
peddler,  whose  Avhole  stock  has  been  destroyed,  is  consoled 
with  a  small  gift  of  money ;  the  seller  of  charms  has  his 
own  gathered  up  and  restored  to  him ;  the  wounded  are 
bound  up  and  cared  for. 

Meanwhile  Joseph,  Avith  Jesus  helping,  is  pulling  and 
lifting  at  the  poor  ass  to  get  it  on  its  feet.  Mary,  torn, 
biniised,  and  disheveled,  is  sitting  by  on  the  ass's  saddle  and 
furnishings,  which  have  been  removed.  The  lamb,  which 
seems  never  to  leave  Jesus'  side,  crowds  against  his  feet 
and  seems  nearly  distracted  by  the  noise  and  confusion. 


GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM  61 

And  now  come  Jacobus  and  Boaz.  With  sturdy  arms  they 
lift  tlie  ass  to  its  feet ;  for  a  moment  it  braces  itself  and 
tries  to  take  a  step,  but  the  poor  legs  tremble  and  waver, 
and  with  a  groan  it  goes  down  again  in  a  heap,  its  mouth 
filled  with  dust.      Its  pilgrimage  is  ended;  it  is  dead. 

The  Gibeonitish  woman  during  all  this  time  has  not 
stirred,  but  sits  immovable,  with  her  dead  boy  in  her  lap, — 
silent,  tearless,  the  j)icture  of  despair.  The  fishermen,  with 
Jesus  and  Jacobus,  gather  around ;  Jesus  draws  near,  and, 
touching  the  woman's  hand,  is  the  first  to  speak. 
"  Woman,  thy  sorrow  is  great,  but  these  here  are  thy 
friends.  Where  abidest  thou  ?  "  The  woman  raises  her 
eyes  to  meet  the  compassionate  gaze  of  Jesus,  and  smiles. 
She  seems  dazed  and  helpless. 

"  Take  up  the  child,  Zebedee,  and  carry  it  where  the 
woman  will  lead,  to  her  home."  It  is  the  venerable  Joazer 
who  speaks,  and  he  continues :  *'  Supply  from  thine  own 
purse  all  her  necessities,  and  we  will  carry  her  fagots  on  to 
Jerusalem." 

And  so  Zebedee  took  up  the  dead  boy  and  Jacobus  the 
load  of  fagots,  and  went  towards  Jerusalem ;  and  the  other, 
with  the  woman,  went  towards  the  mountains  of  Gibeon. 


VI 


AT  THE  TEMPLE  OF  GOD 

"  It  were  easy  to  add  from  Rabbinic  sources  repulsive  details 
of  their  luxurlousness,  wastefulness,  gluttony,  and  general  dissolute- 
ness,"—  Edersheim. 


It  is  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  and  we  are  in  the  Tem- 
ple inclosure  at  Jerusalem ;  we  have  heard  much  of  this 
wonderful  structure  and  had  expected  great  things,  but 
we  are  amazed  at  the  size  and  magnificence.  Two  hundred 
and  ten  thousand  persons  may  stand  within  its  walls,  and 
to-day  it  is  crowded  to  suffocation  with  a  busy,  moving 
throng.  Two  hundred  and  fifty-six  thousand  lambs  are  to 
be  slaughtered  and  certain  parts  of  them  burned  in  sacri- 
fice on  the  Great  Altar  between  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon and  nine  at  night.  The  greater  part  of  the  lambs 
are  sold  here  in  the  Temple  by  dealers  who  divide  profits 
with  the  priestly  ruler.  This  is  true  also  of  the  money 
changers,  who  provide  the  required  coinage  of  the  sanc- 
tuary in  exchange  for  the  various  coins  from  all  over  the 
world,  charging  a  heavy  discount,  which  is  part  of  the 
revenues  of  the  High  Priests. 

But  here  come  Joseph  and  Jesus  with  the  Galilean  fish- 
ermen. "  By  the  Great  Mazar  of  Chorazin,"  we  hear 
Boaz  saying,  "  they  say  that  this  new  High  Priest  Annas, 
whom  the  Romans  have  set  up,  has  got  a  corner  on  lambs, 
and  we  shall  have  to  pay  five  shekels  for  a  poor  little  runt 
not  worth  one." 

"  Boaz,  Boaz  !  "  cries  out  Joazer,  warningly.  "  Remem- 
ber where  thou  art,  and  swear  not,  or  the  fate  of  Dathan 
and  Abiram  may  overtake  thee." 

"  Well !  by  the  — " 

"  Hush !  hush,  swear  not  at  all." 

52 


AT  THE  TE:MPLE  OF  GOD  63 

"  Well !  by  the  a  —  a  —  a  —  how  can  one  help  swearing 
when  he  sees  such  robbery  and  gluttony:  just  look  at  these 
Priests,  every  mother's  son  of  them,  they  say,  is  a  glutton 
and  a  wine  bibbler,  and  they  look  it.  By  the  a  —  a  —  a  — 
well,  just  look  at  them,  sleek  and  fat,  with  bellies  on  them 
like  wine  skins  —  filled,  they  say,  with  lambs-fries  and 
wine  of  Engedi." 

The  stalls  of  these  bankers  are  in  a  long  row  against 
the  wall.  They  are  magnificently  furnished  and  deco- 
rated, and  on  the  tables  of  polished  jasper  and  lazuli  are 
heaped  up  p^^ramids  of  shining  coins.  Behind,  lolling  on 
luxurious  divans,  are  the  watchful  proprietors,  while  hawk- 
eyed  and  nimble-fingered  clerks  deal  out  exchange  to  the 
restless  crowd.  Growls  and  complaints  and  occasionally 
smothered  oaths  are  heard  among  those  who  have  passed 
the  changers  and  are  now  anxiously  counting  their  money ; 
but  the  moving  throng,  like  a  river,  sweeps  them  along. 

And  now  we  are  thei'e  ourselves.  Joazer  presents  some 
worn  shekels  of  Galilee  and  Jehu  some  Tyrian  coins. 
Jacobus  and  his  brethren  money  of  Perea  and  Damascus, 
and  now  Boaz  with  some  coins  of  Persia  that  he  has  taken 
in  traffic  with  caravans  from  the  far  East.  The  clerk 
sounds  the  coins  on  the  jasper  counter,  then  weighs  them 
on  tiny  scales,  and  flings  them  into  a  box  under  the  coun- 
ter. Boaz  marks  it  all  suspiciously,  and  when  he  receives 
his  exchange,  he  refuses  to  pass  on  until  he  has  counted  it. 

"  Pass  on,"  cries  the  clerk,  reaching  out  a  hand  and  push- 
ing him  away. 

"  No,  I'll  not  pass  on,"  cries  Boaz,  clinging  to  tlie  coun- 
ter. "  You  have  cheated  me,  and  I'll  not  pass  on  till  you 
have  given  me  my  dues,  or  at  least  given  me  back  my  own 
money." 

"  You  have  all  that  belongs  to  you,  so  get  along;  come, 
don't  3'ou  see  how  you  are  keeping  the  people  back  ?  "  and 
again  the  clerk  gives  Boaz  a  push. 

All  the  companions  of  Boaz  have  now  paused  and  turned 


64  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

back,  and  Joazer  pleads  with  him  to  let  it  go  and  come  on. 
"  It's  no  use,"  he  sajs,  "  and  we'll  all  be  arrested  if  you 
make  any  disturbance." 

"  By  the  Great  Mazar  of  Chorazin,  let  them  arrest ! 
The  devil  take  me  if  I  budge  an  inch  till  I  have  my  dues." 

By  this  time  Boaz  and  his  contention  have  begun  to  at- 
tract pretty  general  notice,  and  there  are  cries  of  encour- 
agement on  every  hand :  "  Don't  let  'em  beat  ye, 
brother :  "  "  Stick  up  for  your  rights :  "  "  They're  a 
lot  of  thieves  any  way,  brother,  make  'em  shell  out."  Evi- 
dently the  situation  is  becoming  somewhat  alarming,  and 
the  clerk  turns  to  speak  a  few  words  in  a  low  tone  to  the 
man  reclining  on  a  divan  in  the  back  part  of  the  stall. 
He  has  been  idly  conning  his  daily  mikhtabhin  (newspaper) 
and  now  comes  forward,  paper  in  hand.  Like  the  priests 
who  swarm  everywhere,  he  seems  a  well-fed  individual,  show- 
ing a  broad  and  full  expanse  of  chest  and  abdomen,  with 
white  cushiony  hands,  garments  of  extreme  fineness  and 
somewhat  Grecian  in  style,  and  a  profusion  of  jeweled 
rings  and  other  ornaments. 

We  may  note  that  the  language  we  now  hear  spoken  by 
the  banker  and  his  clerk,  and  indeed  by  all  the  Judeans  and 
Jerusalemites,  is  quite  different  from  what  we  have  been 
used  to  in  Galilee.  To  these  Jerusalemites  the  idiom  of 
Joseph  and  Jesus,  of  Boaz  and  Jacobus  is  a  barbarous 
patois;  and  the  rude  and  simple  Galileans  are,  as  is  plain 
to  see,  regarded  in  Jerusalem  much  as  the  green  Irishman 
is  in  London,  or  the  southern  tar-boiler  in  Wall  Street. 
Not  only  their  speech  but  their  garb  and  manner  "  be- 
wrayeth  "  them. 

Our  portly  banker  evidently  has  great  contempt  for 
Boaz  and  fixes  his  eyes  upon  him  with  great  haughtiness 
and  severity;  but  Boaz  does  not  flinch,  and  the  great  man 
speaks,  majestically  waving  the  hand  in  which  he  still 
holds  his  newspaper.     "  Move  on,  sir !       Move  on  at  once, 


AT  THE  TEMPLE  OF  GOD  66 

or  I'll  have  you  arrested.  You  rubbish,  you  vile  country 
bumpkin,  get  out  I  tell  you !  " 

"  Have  me  arrested,  will  you  ?  By  the  Great  Mazar  of 
Chorazin,  I'll  pull  this  gilded  den  of  yours  down  about  your 
ears  if  ^^ou  don't  give  me  back  my  own." 

The  great  man  evidently  scorns  to  bandy  words  with  the 
unclean  rabble,  and  with  a  sign  from  him  the  dapper  clerk 
hurries  out  through  a  back  door,  leaving  the  banker  alone. 
The  mob  that  begins  to  press  almost  violently  against  the 
stall  with  wild  cries  of  encouragement  for  Boaz  and  curses 
for  the  money-changers,  increases  steadily  in  size  and  bold- 
ness ;  it  seethes  and  roars  about  the  stall  in  true  Oriental 
fashion,  and  every  moment  augments  the  dangers  of  a  riot. 
"  Stand  for  your  rights,  brother :  "  "  Don't  let  them  scare 
you :  "  "  They  are  a  pack  of  thieves,  anyway,"  and  so 
on,  are  cries  heard  on  all  hands ;  but  the  banker  seems  un- 
concerned and  turns  again  to  the  reading  of  his  newspaper. 

INIcantime  all  of  Boaz's  friends  have  gathered  close  about 
him,  and  Jehu  and  others  even  lay  hold  upon  him  to  draw 
him  away,  but  Boaz  will  not  move.  A  moment  later  a  near 
by  door  is  thrown  open,  and  through  it  pour  in  a  company 
of  sturdy  athletes,  flourishing  heavy  clubs,  which  they  be- 
gin at  once  to  use  on  the  crowd  with  little  respect  or  dis- 
crimination, opening  a  way  to  Boaz.  "  The  clubmen  of 
Annas !  "  "  The  clubmen  of  Annas  !  "  is  repeated  from 
mouth  to  mouth  with  curses  and  execrations  —  but  no  one 
dares  resist.  The  carrying  of  arms  within  the  Temple 
area  being  strictly  prohibited  the  multitude,  like  a  flock  of 
sheep,  are  helpless  before  the  onslaught  and  are  quickly 
dispersed  with  many  bloody  heads  and  bruised  shoulders. 

Boaz,  though  protected  in  a  measure,  is  cruelly  beaten, 
and  even  Joseph  gets  a  whack  that,  added  to  the  wound  he 
received  from  the  Roman  soldiers,  gives  his  face  a  look  that 
might  be  mistaken  for  that  of  a  robber  or  a  malefactor. 
Even  Jesus,  boy  though  he  is,  escapes  blows  only  through 
the  courage  and  giant  strength  of  Jacobus :  at  the  critical 


56  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

moment  he  puts  an  arm  out  and,  wrenching  the  club  from 
Jesus'  assailant,  with  a  blow  from  his  open  palm  sends  him 
sprawling  and  helpless,  no  more  to  swing  a  club  at  this 
Passover.  There  are  no  arrests  made,  for  these  clubmen 
are  not  the  Temple  Guard  but  only  the  irresponsible  ap- 
paritors of  the  High  Priest  —  henchmen  and  retainers  like 
those  of  a  mediaeval  lord,  who,  having  made  their  foray 
and  disciplined  the  mob,  return  again  to  their  kennels. 
We  learn  later  that  not  only  these  bankers  but  this  whole 
brood  of  traffickers  in  doves,  lambs,  and  he-goats,  whose 
stalls  line  the  outer  courts  of  the  Temple,  are  tributaries 
all  of  the  High  Priestly  families  of  Jerusalem,  and  are 
protected  by  them  in  all  sorts  of  injustice  and  extortion. 

But  to  return  to  Boaz  and  his  friends.  They  are  indeed 
"  perplexed,  but  not  in  despair ;  cast  down,  but  not  de- 
stroyed." After  all  they  have  suffered  we  might  suppose 
they  would  go  away  without  paying  their  dues  or  offering 
their  sacrifices.  Boaz,  it  is  true,  declares  himself  done  with 
the  whole  business  and  ready  to  cast  off  the  dust  of  his  feet 
against  Jerusalem  and  all  there  is  in  it;  but  other  coun- 
sels at  last  prevail  and  the  changeless  habits  of  the  Jew 
again  assert  themselves. 

"  Our  debt,"  says  Joseph,  pleading  with  Boaz,  "  is  not 
to  these  degenerate  priests,  the  servants  of  Rome,  but  to 
the  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth.  We  must  remember  that  God's 
anointed,  even  in  earlier  and  better  times,  were  sometimes 
sons  of  Belial.  The  Law  tells  us  of  Nadab  and  Abihu, 
sons  of  Aaron  himself,  and  of  the  vile  sons  of  Eli ;  and  the 
prophet  Hosea  says :  '  As  troops  of  robbers  wait  for  a 
man,  so  the  company  of  priests  murder  in  the  way  by 
consent ;  for  they  commit  lewdness,'  and  the  words  of 
Malachi  also :  *  Saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts  unto  you,  O 
priests  that  despise  my  name  and  offer  polluted  blood  and 
the  lame  and  the  blind  for  sacrifice ; '  but  if  the  priests  are 
vile  and  the  Temple  of  God  polluted,  it  does  not  excuse  us 
from  the  requirements  of  the  Law." 


AT  THE  TEMPLE  OF  GOD  67 

Our  Galilean  friends  have  retired  since  their  drubbing 
to  a  remote  corner  in  the  portico,  where  after  washing  away 
the  blood  and  applying  such  bandages  as  are  to  be  had 
they  again  sally  forth. 

First  and  above  all,  the  sanctuary  dues  and  tithings  must 
be  paid, —  these  tithes  were  commuted  for  the  most  part 
in  money,  and  besides,  the  poll  tax  of  a  common  shekel  or 
a  half  shekel  of  the  sanctuary  for  men,  and  something  less 
for  women,  children,  and  slaves  had  to  be  paid.  These  dues 
must  be  paid  into  the  Treasury,  which  is  another  great 
banking  establishment  situated  in  the  portico  of  the  outer 
court.  Its  magnificence, —  even  its  approaches  and  out- 
ward adornments, —  are  such  as  to  fill  with  amazement  our 
simple  friends  of  Galilee,  and  in  silent  awe  they  pay  their 
dues  over  the  inlaid  counters  to  the  gorgeous  and  haughty 
clerks. 

And  now  with  all  else  done,  comes  the  all  important  pro- 
vision for  the  Feast  of  the  Passover.  As  no  more  than 
twenty  persons,  at  the  utmost,  are  allowed  to  sit  down  to 
one  lamb,  two  lambs  at  least  must  be  provided  for  the 
company  of  Joseph, —  one  besides  that  which  they  have 
brought  from  Nazareth,  and  which  still  follows  closely  by 
Jesus'  side.  The  dealers  in  lambs  and  sheep,  doves,  oxen 
and  goats  have  their  offices  here  in  the  portico.  While 
Joazer  and  the  others  go  to  purchase  a  lamb,  Joseph,  with 
Jesus  and  his  lamb,  go  to  seek  the  Temple  official  who  in- 
spects all  offerings,  and  whose  certificate  of  soundness  is 
necessary  before  any  animal  can  be  offered  in  the  Temple. 

After  a  brief  absence  our  Galilean  friends  again  assem- 
ble in  the  Temple  court,  near  the  great  altar  of  burnt 
offerings.  It  is  a  terrible  scene.  The  sun  has  gone  down, 
and  it  is  dark  without;  but  here  within  this  vast  inclosure 
it  is  as  light  as  day.  On  the  great  altar,  seventy-five  feet 
square  and  twenty-three  feet  high,  the  fat  of  ten  thou- 
sand lambs  is  burning,  sending  up  a  column  of  flame  that 
with  lurid  tongues  rises  hundreds  of  feet  in  air, —  a  beacon 


58  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

visible  to  the  mariner  far  out  on  the  blue  Mediterranean 
and  to  caravans  beyond  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea. 

A  thousand  priests  are  officiating.  There  is  utmost 
haste,  noise,  confusion, —  a  babel  of  human  voices,  the 
bleating  of  lambs,  the  blare  of  trumpets,  ram's-horns,  and 
all  kinds  of  instruments.  For  six  long  hours,  five  hundred 
lambs  a  minute  have  their  throats  cut  here,  and  long  lines 
of  priests  pass  the  fat  of  the  lambs  from  the  blood-reeking 
shambles  up  to  the  great  altar  for  burning,  while  other 
lines  pass  the  blood  in  golden  bowls  to  be  poured  out  be- 
fore God.  Blood,  blood  everywhere.  The  priests'  hands, 
and  even  their  faces,  are  red  with  it,  and  their  whole  gar- 
ments are  smeared  and  coated  like  butchers'  togs.  The 
great  fire  on  the  altar  paints  every  object  with  a  lurid  glare, 
and  the  faces  of  the  priests  and  of  the  excited  crowd,  with 
the  smell  of  blood  long  in  their  nostrils,  seem  indeed  fit  min- 
isters of  that  jealous  God  who  is  angry  with  the  wicked 
every  day,  and  whose  fury  is  poured  out  like  fire;  and 
over  all  and  through  all,  the  barbaric  noise  of  rams'-horns, 
trumpets,  tom-toms,  psalteries  and  sackbuts. 

It  is  a  scene  to  call  up  thoughts !  We  remember  that 
these  dark-browed  Jews  are  sprung  from  the  same  stock  as 
the  Phoenicians,  Ninevites,  and  men  of  Sodom,  and  we  call 
to  mind  those  human  sacrifices  of  the  first-born  we  saw  in 
Sodom  before  the  fire  came  down ;  in  Carthage  when  Scipio 
was  at  her  gates ;  and  in  Tyre  while  the  hosts  of  Alexander 
encompassed  her  round.  Jesus,  too,  has  thoughts !  When 
his  lamb  is  taken  from  him  to  be  butchered,  struggling  and 
bleating,  he  turned  away  faint  and  sick  at  heart. 

After  Jesus  found  John  at  the  Feast  the  tAvo  boys  be- 
came inseparable.  John,  from  being  often  in  Jerusalem 
with  his  father,  knew  the  city  well,  and  especially  the  Tem- 
ple and  its  service.  Most  of  the  Pilgrims  had  left  for 
their  homes  by  the  end  of  the  third  da}^,  and  the  rcgvilar 
daily  sacrifices  at  the  Temple  had  been  resumed.     Jesus 


AT  THE  TEMPLE  OF  GOD  59 

had  expressed  a  desire  to  see  an  entire  day's  rites,  and  the 
two  boys,  separated  from  their  families,  had  slept  on  the 
Temple  terrace  and  were  ready  to  enter  when  the  blasts  of 
the  trumpets  announced  that  the  gates  were  open. 

The  lamps  in  the  Temple  were  burning,  for  it  was  still 
quite  dark,  and  with  the  glow  from  the  fire  which  still 
smouldered  on  the  great  altar  they  gave  light  enough  to 
reveal  its  general  interior.  Although  much  had  been  done 
to  cleanse  the  Temple  of  the  Passover  slaughter,  it  still 
had  more  the  appearance  of  a  great  abattoir  than  of  a 
place  of  worship  and  of  prayer. 

Some  yawning  Levites,  half  asleep,  were  perfunctorily 
going  through  the  forms  of  cleansing  the  altar,  but 
through  many  repetitions  their  tasks  had  evidently  become 
monotonous  and  ill-pcrformcd  drudgery.  Now  that  the 
crowds  were  gone  the  chief  priests  were  not  likely  to  come 
to  make  inspection  until  the  approach  of  the  next  great 
feast ;  and  so  the  priests  and  Levites,  whose  business  it 
was  to  clean  and  furbish  and  make  ready  for  the  morning 
sacrifice,  dawdled  and  talked.  One  began  to  tell  of  a  scene 
of  lewdness  he  had  witnessed  among  the  Passover  Pilgrims. 
"  Better  hush  up  on  that !  "  said  another,  in  a  low  voice, 
"  one  of  those  boys  is  Zacharius'  brat,  and  he'll  tell  the 
old  man  of  3'ou,  sure."  "  Naw  he  won't !  he's  been  around 
here  before,"  and  the  story  went  on  with  cessation  of  work 
and  restrained  laughter. 

A  moment  later  and  the  call  of  the  sentinel  on  the  high 
roof  of  the  Temple  announced  that,  far  awa}^,  Hebron  was 
visible  in  the  dawning  light,  and  there  was  a  bustle  of  prep- 
aration for  the  morning  sacrifice.  A  new  company  of  priests 
now  appeared  from  the  inner  court.  The  duties  of  these 
priests  were  various  and  were  assigned  by  lot,  some  to  make 
the  offering  of  incense  in  the  holy  place  and  some  to  kill  and 
prepare  the  sheep  for  sacrifice.  John  explained  it  all  to 
Jesus,  and  told  him  that  these  priests  had  already  washed 
their  feet  and  hands  four  times  that  morning  and  were  very 


60  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

holy ;  but  Jesus  could  not  help  noticing  by  the  light  of  the 
many  torches  that  even  the  priest  whose  lot  it  was  to  enter 
the  holy  place  and  make  the  offering  of  incense  had  a  dirty, 
red  face  and  bleary  eyes. 

Meanwhile  a  sheep  from  the  pen  in  the  Temple  was 
brought  to  the  north  side  of  the  great  altar  and  its  head 
turned  towards  the  west.  Here  twenty-four  representatives 
of  the  people,  as  explained  by  John,  were  to  put  their 
hands  on  its  head  before  it  was  slain  in  token  of  its  being 
the  devotional  act  of  the  whole  people.  When  the  sheep 
was  brought  out,  there  seemed  to  be  some  delay.  The 
twenty-four  representatives  had  not  appeared,  and  Jesus 
turned  to  John  for  an  explanation.  "  Yes,"  said  John, 
"  it  often  happens  so,  and  this  is  one  of  the  things  that 
Father  mourns  over,  not  a  little,  and  he  says  that  such 
things  cannot  endure  for  long  without  God's  vengeance 
being  visited.  You  see,"  he  continued,  "  that  the  Law 
requires  these  twenty-four  representatives  to  be  grave  and 
reverend  men,  and  that  they  shall  remain  in  the  Temple 
while  on  duty;  but  instead,  the  representatives  are  often 
men  drunken  and  dissolute,  and  to  make  it  appear  that 
they  sleep  in  the  Temple  they  do  as  associations  of  rich 
men  here  in  Jerusalem  do  about  meeting  together  and  hav- 
ing banquets  on  the  Sabbath.  These  rich  people.  Father 
says,  put  a  chain  across  each  end  of  a  street  in  which  a 
group  of  them  live  and  pretend  that  by  so  doing  they  make 
the  whole  street  a  single  dwelling,  and  so  they  can  all  get 
together  and  have  a  good  time  on  the  Sabbath.  And  so  these 
twenty-four  representatives,  who  object  to  staying  in  the 
Temple  twenty-four  hours,  join  a  house  outside  by  chains 
and  pretend  that  the  house  becomes  a  part  of  the  Temple. 
—  But  here  they  come." 

The  twenty-four,  aroused  at  last  by  repeated  messengers, 
now  came  in.  Their  appearance  clearly  indicated  that  they 
had  just  been  aroused  from  sleep,  and  some  bore  very  vis- 
ible marks  of  dissipation. 


AT  THE  TEMPLE  OF  GOD  61 

By  the  time  the  sheep  was  prepared  for  burning  on  the 
altar  the  first  beams  of  the  rising  sun  were  shining  with 
dazzhng  splendor  on  the  polished  marble  and  gold  of  the 
Temple  pinnacle,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  babel  of  con- 
fused sounds  arose  from  every  quarter.  From  the  nearby 
castle  of  Antonia,  the  martial  blare  of  Roman  trumpets 
mingled  with  the  blasts  of  rams'-horns,  blown  by  a  com- 
pany of  Levites  about  the  Great  Altar,  to  which  was  joined 
the  deep  roll  of  the  great  Temple  organ,  with  citherns, 
harps,  and  cymbals,  the  singing  of  psalms,  and  the  voice 
of  prater.  There  were  only  a  few  worshippers  in  the  Tem- 
ple besides  Jesus  and  John ;  but  without,  in  the  street  and 
the  market  place,  the  devout  worshipers,  with  Tephillin 
bound  to  arm  and  forehead,  were  loudly  repeating  the 
"  Shema  "  which  begins,  "  Hear  O  Israel,  the  Lord  our 
God  is  One  God." 


vn 


THE  YOUNG  CARPENTER 

"  The  ethics  of  government  are  identical  with  the  ethics  of  war." — 
Herbert  Spencer. 


Four  years  have  elapsed  since  the  occurrence  of  the  events 
just  narrated.  During  this  period  a  few  incidents  had 
taken  place  which  should  be  noted  here.  Joseph,  the 
father  of  Jesus,  had  returned  from  the  Passover-Feast 
wholly  exhausted  and  broken.  For  the  poor,  the  journey 
to  Jerusalem  was  at  best  an  arduous  undertaking.  The 
long  march  in  dust  and  heat,  the  excitement  of  dangers  and 
perils,  the  press  of  thronging  multitudes,  the  loss  of  sleep 
made  of  it  a  trying  ordeal.  Added  to  all  this  for  Joseph 
and  Mary  was  the  three  days'  anxious  search  for  their  lost 
boy.  When  at  last  they  were  ready  to  start  again,  all  their 
Galilean  friends  had  gone  ahead,  and  they  were  obliged  to 
travel  alone.  And  so,  passing  through  Samaria,  alone  and 
unprotected,  they  were  set  upon  by  some  of  those  despised 
and  hated  countrymen,  and  were  despoiled  and  beaten. 
When  at  last  they  arrived  at  Nazareth  they  were  all  in  sad 
plight,  and  Joseph  especially.  He  was  entirely  broken, 
and  died  in  a  few  days  after  reaching  home. 

He  left  nothing  but  the  few  tools  of  his  carpenter's 
trade,  and  the  family  were  entirely  destitute.  Of  the  two 
girls,  Michal  at  once  married  an  obscure  tradesman  of  Naz- 
areth, while  Doris,  the  younger  sister,  always  of  frail 
health,  had  become  a  confirmed  invalid,  helpless  and  bed- 
ridden. James,  the  elder  brother,  had  also  married  and 
gone  to  a  home  of  his  own.  Jude,  more  thoroughly  in- 
oculated with  the  extreme  doctrines  of  Jacobus  and  his 
party,  had  with  his  cousin  Simon  secretly  joined  the 
Zealots,  and  by  the  roving  life  which  he  led  was  more  a 

62 


THE  YOUNG  CARPENTER  63 

burden  than  a  help  in  the  family  economy.  Jesus  was  thus 
left,  at  an  early  age,  as  the  sole  support  of  his  mother  and 
sister.  It  had  ever  been  the  pious  wish  of  Mary  that  Jesus 
should  be  a  Rabbi.  His  extraordinary  aptitude  for  learn- 
ing had  encouraged  her  in  this,  and  if  Joseph  had  lived 
Jesus  no  doubt  would  have  been  sent  to  Jerusalem  to  per- 
fect himself  in  Rabbinic  lore, —  to  become  in  due  time  a 
second  Hillel  or  Gamaliel,  a  main  pillar  of  the  established 
order. 

And  so  doth  God  order  events  in  this  mad  world  of  ours. 
Man  at  the  utmost  stretch  of  his  boasted  reason  faintly 
sees  law  therein,  when  oft  'tis  seen  the  fate  of  a  world  hangs 
upon  the  turning  of  a  hair:  an  ant  tugging  persistently 
at  a  grain  of  corn  revives  the  courage  of  a  despairing  hero 
and  he  arises  to  subdue  a  world ;  a  spider  spins  her  web 
across  the  mouth  of  a  cave,  and  lo !  there  is  born  of  it  the 
revolution  of  two  continents  and  the  religion  of  one-third 
of  mankind.  Jesus  the  son  of  Joseph,  instead  of  going 
to  Jerusalem  to  study  the  learning  of  the  schools,  stayed 
at  home  to  dig  in  his  mother's  garden  and  ply  a  carpen- 
ter's plane, —  whence  sprang  a  new  era,  and  the  Brother- 
hood of  Man. 

Having  been  much  with  his  father  and  having  worked 
with  him,  Jesus  had  learned  much  of  his  trade,  and  though 
still  very  young  was  able  to  earn  a  daily  wage.  When  it 
is  remembered  that  in  the  East  boys  of  thirteen  and  girls 
of  eleven  are  considered  of  marriageable  age,  this  is  not 
very  surprising.  Jesus,  if  not  sturdy  and  muscular  like 
his  cousin  John,  was  agile  and  quick  to  learn,  and,  more 
than  all,  had  developed  a  wonderful  taste  and  aptitude  for 
wood  carving  and  ornamental  work :  some  of  his  designs 
in  lilies  and  pomegranates  had  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  great  architect  Bothcric,  who  was  building  the  capital 
city  of  Tiberias  for  Antipas ;  and  Jesus  had  already  been 
asked  to  come  there  and  do  some  interior  decorative  work 
under  masters.     At  present,  he  is  working  under  the  Rabbi 


64  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Sadduc,  and  like  other  apprentices,  doing  work  for  which 
the  master  gets  most  of  the  pay. 

It  is  the  home  of  Simon  the  Pharisee  at  Capernaum. 
Simon  was  called  a. Pharisee  because  his  father  before  him 
had  been  an  active  and  prominent  member  of  that  fra- 
ternity, but  was  really  more  of  a  Sadducee  than  a  Pharisee ; 
his  theology  may  still  have  retained  the  tone  and  caste  of 
Pharisaism,    but    his    politics    was    decidedly    Sadducean. 

Like  the  rich  and  aristocratic  of  all  times  and  places 
Simon  was  averse  to  political  agitation  and  change.  He 
was  prosperous  himself,  and  he  averred  that  the  country 
was  prospering  under  Roman  government  and  preferred  to 
let  well  enough  alone.  He  cultivated  the  friendship  of  the 
Roman  centurion  who  commanded  the  garrison  at  Caper- 
naum and  had  sought  the  acquaintance  of  the  rich  Roman 
Honorius,  who,  as  friend  of  Antipas,  was  building  a  su- 
perb winter  residence  at  Tiberias. 

To  sufficiently  deserve  such  high  associations  Simon  is 
enlarging  and  improving  his  own  residence  and  its  sur- 
roundings. His  house  and  grounds  are  already  among  the 
finest  and  most  luxurious  in  Palestine.  The  house,  on 
elevated  ground,  faces  the  lake  and  is  separated  from  it 
by  extensive  gardens  and  groves  of  almond,  palm,  and 
orange  trees.  At  the  foot  of  the  garden  a  sea-wall  of 
massive  black  basalt  protects  from  erosion,  and  within  a 
small  basin  inclosed  by  stone  piers  a  twenty-oared  pleasure 
galley  rides  at  anchor.  It  is  a  beautiful  morning  in  the 
month  of  May,  and  the  well-kept  garden  is  aglow  with 
color  and  redolent  with  perfume.  Birds  of  brilliant  plu- 
mage and  delightful  song  flit  among  the  trees  and  shady 
bowers.  In  an  obscure  corner  of  this  garden  we  find  Jesus 
at  work  alone,  carving  some  designs  in  wood.  He  has 
changed  much  since  we  last  saw  him.  He  is  a  man  now, 
tall  and  straight,  with  a  great  shock  of  wavy  brown  hair 
which  is  his  only  head  covering  and  a  thin  beard  upon 
which  no  razor  has  fallen.     He  has  made  no  Nazarite  vow. 


THE  YOUNG  CARPENTER  65 

but  out  of  admiration  and  love  for  liis  cousin  John  he  has 
adopted  that  habit  without  any  phm  or  object,  and  without 
any  of  the  extreme  self-denials  required  of  the  Nazarite 
or  Essene.  He  is  like  Adam  in  Paradise,  a  natural  man. 
Then,  too,  like  every  free  3'oung  animal  that  God  has  made, 
he  is  full  to  overflowing  with  lusty  life,  and  like  other 
creatures  in  youth  and  spring-time,  he  utters  himself  in 
song.  It  is  not  a  set  psalm  of  Asaph  or  the  Sanctuary, 
but  a  wild  heart  melody,  such  as  David  sang  to  his  harp, 
such  as  the  Skalds  and  Ossian  sang  to  the  storm  blast  and 
the  sea.  And  what  a  voice !  We  stand  behind  this  mass  of 
blooming  roses  and  listen  in  wonder.  A  voice  not  now 
raised  to  a  loud  and  high  key,  but  capable  of  every  pitch 
and  tone.  True  to  his  Jewish  culture  and  to  his  ancestry 
of  a  thousand  years,  Jesus  is  thinking  of  the  Messiah  and 
the  deliverance  of  Israel.  He  is  rehearsing  to  himself  the 
teachings  of  the  Rabbis,  and  with  him,  as  with  the  true 
minstrels  of  all  ages,  his  thought  voices  itself  in  song. 

"  How  beautiful  is  the  King,  Messiah.  Like  Adam,  and 
Abraham,  and  Solomon,  Avhose  stature  was  above  the  tops  of 
the  mountains,  he  girds  his  loins  and  orders  the  battle 
against  his  enemies.  He  slays  their  kings  and  their  chief 
captains ;  he  makes  the  mountains  red  with  the  blood  of  his 
slaughtered  foes.  His  robes  dyed  in  their  blood  shall  be 
like  the  skins  of  the  purple  grapes.  For  a  year  shall  the 
beasts  of  the  field  feed  upon  the  carcasses  of  their  slain,  and 
for  seven  years  shall  the  birds  of  the  air  devour  them. 
Then,  too,  will  Jerusalem  be  purified  and  made  glorious. 
The  mountains  of  Sinai,  of  Tabor,  and  of  Carmel  shall  be 
the  pillars  of  her  gates.  Damascus  and  Antioch  shall  be 
her  doors.  Angels  shall  cut  the  stones  of  her  battlements. 
They  shall  tower  above  Hermon  and  reach  the  clouds. 

"  Out  of  her  holy  mountain  shall  flow  rivers  of  pure 
waters,  and  there  will  be  no  more  drought. 

"  Every  good  plant  and  tree  shall  flourish,  and  their 
flowers  and  fruit  be  renewed  each  day,  forever. 


66  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  The  stalks  of  corn  shall  be  like  pahm  trees,  and  every 
grape  shall  jaeld  wine  like  a  cask. 

"  Then  shall  sickness  and  sorrow  be  unknown,  and 
the  pure  worship  of  God  be  established  throughout  the 
earth." 

Here  the  rhapsody  of  Jesus  is  interrupted  by  the  sound 
of  the  lash  and  screams  of  pain.  Outside  Simon's  garden, 
separated  from  it  by  an  impenetrable  hedge  of  thorny 
cacti,  is  the  great  fish  mart  of  Capernaum.  Here  the  Greek 
Hippo,  by  bribes  and  flattery  of  the  Rulers,  has  acquired 
a  monopoly  of  the  trade  and  grown  immensely  rich,  so  it 
is  said,  by  usury  and  extortion.  Hippo  is  seldom  seen 
in  person  at  Capernaum ;  he  spends  much  time  in  Rome  and 
Antioch,  and  now,  to  please  Antipas,  he  is  building  for 
himself  a  magnificent  villa  at  Tiberias. 

Hippo  owns  many  slaves,  some  of  them  Hebrews,  and  it 
is  one  of  these,  a  woman  as  well  as  Hebrew,  that  Hippo's 
steward  is  subjecting  to  the  lash.  Jesus  can  not  get  over 
the  hedge,  but  there  is  a  little  opening  where  he  can  peer 
through,  and  he  cuts  away  some  of  the  thorns  with  his 
carving  tool.  Then  he  thrusts  his  hand  through  and 
waves  it,  shouting  "  Ho  there,  you !  stop  that !  "  The  man 
with  the  scourge  pauses  with  the  whip  uplifted  in  the  air; 
he  hears  the  voice  and  sees  the  waving  hand.  Fear  of 
he  knows  not  what  lurks  continually  in  the  heart  of  any 
man  under  such  circumstances,  and  the  man  is  afraid ;  he 
unties  the  cord  which  binds  the  woman  to  a  stone  post  and 
lets  her  go.  She  has  been  stripped  to  the  waist  and  the 
blood  flows  down  her  bare  back ;  as  she  drags  herself  along 
past  the  place  where  Jesus  stands,  she  casts  a  timid  but 
grateful  glance  towards  the  opening,  but  she  can  see  no 
one.     Jesus  goes  back  to  his  work :  but  he  no  more  sings. 

The  picture  of  the  agonized  haggard  face  and  the  bleed- 
ing back  remains  with  him,  and  haunts  him  like  a  ceaseless 
cry.  At  first  it  seems  as  if  he  must  find  wings  to  fly  over 
the  hedge  and  destroy  the  heathen  persecutor,  as  Moses  did 


THE  YOUNG  CARPENTER  67 

the  Egyptian.  All  the  hot  blood  of  a  hundred  generations 
boils  within  him.  Every  oracle  and  tradition  of  his  people 
from  the  beginning  of  time  has  inculcated  the  teaching  of 
vengeance.  Shall  not  the  Hebrew  woman  be  avenged.'' 
For  a  moment  there  is  a  wild  dancing  light  in  the  young 
man's  eyes,  and  he  clutches  the  iron  carver  he  holds  in  his 
hand  with  a  threatening  gesture.  Then  he  sinks  down  on 
a  stone  bench,  resting  his  face  in  his  hands,  with  the  great 
mass  of  his  hair  falling  about  him  unheeded. 

Now  there  is  another  face  appearing  before  him,  the 
fear-stricken  face  of  the  man  with  the  scourge.  Is  not  he 
also  a  slave  of  slaves, —  so  much  required  of  him  under 
penalty  not  only  of  stripes,  but  loss  of  place,  degradation, 
and  ruin.?  And  even  Hippo.?  Who  is  Hippo.?  Jesus 
remembers  to  have  seen  him  in  his  own  garden,  frolicking 
with  his  children,  even  on  his  hands  and  knees, —  a  man 
with  a  kind,  benevolent  face  and  gentle  manners,  a  philoso- 
pher, who  loves  the  company  of  Rabbis  and  who  has  been  a 
generous  friend  of  Israel. 

And  once,  too.  Hippo  had  been  a  little  child,  amused 
with  a  toy,  pure,  innocent,  and  affectionate,  with  a  heart 
full  of  love  for  all  that  lived.  What  has  changed  Hippo.? 
And  Jesus  calls  to  mind  the  Publican's  spies,  the  bribes 
Hippo  has  to  pajs  here,  there,  and  everywhere,  the  tributes, 
indemnities,  tariffs,  the  strifes  and  enmities  of  competition, 
the  frauds  and  deceptions  of  stewards  and  servants,  the 
demands  of  his  social  standing,  onerous,  unappeasable. 
Who,  indeed,  sliould  condemn  Hippo! 

It  is  all  a  maze  of  doubt  and  difficulty,  and  Jesus,  lost  in 
it,  has  let  his  graver's  tool  fall  from  his  hand  and  has 
forgotten  his  work ;  he  does  not  hear  when  a  sweet  voice  not 
far  away  sings :  "  A  garden  inclosed  is  my  sister,  my 
spouse.  A  spring  shut  up,  a  fountain  sealed.  Thy  plants 
arc  an  orchard  of  pomegranates,  with  pleasant  fruits. 
Camphire  with  spikenard.  Spikenard  and  saffron,  calamus 
and  cinnamon,  with  all  trees  of  frankincense ;  myrrh  and 


68  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

aloes,  with  all  the  chief  spices.     A  fountain  of  gardens,  a 
well  of  living  waters,  and  streams  from  Lebanon. 

There  is  the  slight  rustle  of  garments,  the  patter  of  feet, 
the  tinkling  of  a  silver  bell,  and  at  last  a  voice  close  at 
hand :  "  Oh,  you  slothful  servant !  What  will  the  Master 
say  if  he  finds  you  sitting  so.^*  " 

Jesus  starts,  clutches  at  his  graver's  tool,  and  arises  as 
if  dazed  and  frightened.  His  mind,  intensely  occupied 
by  so  far  different  a  theme,  is  ill  prepared  for  encounter 
with  such  a  vision  as  now  stands  before  him.  It  is  the 
same  3roung  girl  with  her  gazelle  that  we  saw  with  Jesus 
on  the  mountain,  the  same  upon  whom  every  eye  was  riveted 
in  the  dance  at  Haramie,  but  more  beautiful,  even,  than 
then. 

The  bud  has  opened  into  the  perfect  flower, —  and,  as  so 
rarely  happens  with  the  human  flower,  without  her  know- 
ing it.  She  is  the  same  impulsive,  innocent,  wild  thing  that 
we  saw  on  the  mountain  of  Galilee,  with  the  contour  of  a 
3^oung  Venus  and  the  stature  and  pose  of  Juno.  Her  head 
is  without  covering  except  for  the  broad  circlet  of  gold  and 
silver  coins,  which  is  her  only  ornament,  and  the  great 
mass  of  her  raven  hair,  confined  only  by  a  fillet  of  gold, 
hangs  carelessly  in  wavy  masses  below  her  girdle.  The 
light  drapery  common  in  the  homes  of  all  eastern  peoples 
is  worn  with  all  the  easy  and  unconscious  grace  of  a  young 
bird  with  its  first  plumage.  Then  there  are  the  bare  brown 
arms  and  shoulders,  the  bare  feet  shod  only  with  sandals, 
the  laughing  mouth  with  its  rows  of  pearls,  and  the  flash- 
ing black  eyes  shaded  by  brows  and  lashes  that  need  no 
penciling. 

As  Jesus'  eyes  fall  upon  this  vision,  his  face,  before  so 
pale  and  bloodless,  flushes  crimson,  and  his  eyes  drop  and 
turn  away. 

"  Yes,  yes.  I  should  be  working,"  said  Jesus,  catching 
up  a  cedar  post  that  he  had  previously  been  carving,  "  but 
I  was  thinking  about  —     Why,  what  was  I  thinking  about ! 


THE  YOUNG  CARPENTER  69 

Oh,  I  remember, —  about  a  woman  who  was  wliipped  over 
there."  And  Jesus  began  cutting  awkwardly  at  tlie  grape 
cluster  he  was  carvhig,  while  the  gazelle  nibbled  at  some 
rose  buds,  and  the  young  girl,  looking  over  his  shoulder, 
drew  close  and  curiously  scrutinized  the  work  Jesus  was 
doing. 

"  Why!  you're  just  spoiling  it  all!  "  cries  the  girl  play- 
fu]l3\  "  See  how  you  have  cut  the  stems  from  those  lovely 
leaves." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  have  no  skill  to-day ;  or  else  it's  because  you 
are  looking  at  me:  I  can't  do  anything  with  folks  looking 
at  me." 

"  Oh,  you  queer  bo}' !  When  it  was  only  the  other  day 
you  said  I  appreciated  3'our  work  more  than  anybody 
else !  " 

"  Yes,  but  that  was  finished  work ;  I  can't  work  with  3'ou 
looking  at  me." 

"  Well,  then  I'll  go.  Come,  Tirza,"  she  added,  speaking 
to  the  gazelle,  "he  doesn't  want  us  here,  though  I  must 
not  forget  my  errand.  The  Rabbi  Sadduc  sent  me  to  tell 
3'ou  to  come  up  to  the  house  when  you  have  finished  that 
one  post.  So  now  don't  think  I  came  just  to  see  you," 
she  concluded,  laughing. 

And  dancing  away  with  the  gazelle,  the  girl  began  her 
retreat  towards  the  house.  Then  Jesus  hesitatingly  called 
to  her:  "Just  a  minute;  please  come  back  a  minute.  I 
want  to  say  just  a  word  to  you." 

"  There  now,  hear  that !  Only  a  moment  ago  you  were 
sending  us  away,  and  now  you  want  us  back  again,"  and 
the  girl  laughed  banteringly.  "  Oh,  what  a  fickle,  change- 
able boy  you  are !  No,  you  must  come  to  us  now,"  and 
the  girl  began  plucking  some  oleander  blossoms  and  deck- 
ing herself  and  the  gazelle  with  them. 

Jesus,  went  towards  the  girl,  shyly  and  awkwardly 
and  blushing  painfully.  "  I  wanted  to  know  if  anything 
more  has  been  said  about  your  going  to  Tiberias,"  said 


70  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Jesus  at  length,  regaining  his  composure  and  looking 
steadily  at  Mary. 

It  was  the  young  girl's  turn  to  blush  and  lower  her  eyes. 
But  after  a  pause  she  answered  a  little  petulantly : 
"  There  hasn't  been  a  great  deal  said,  but  they  want  me, 
and  Master  Simon  says  I  can  go,  and  my  mother  says  I 
can  go ;  but  Father  says  not,  and  I'm  afraid  to  go,  though 
they  say  it  is  very  nice  there,  and  they  are  making  it  one 
of  the  grandest  cities  in  the  world.  And  Honorius,  they 
say,  is  a  lovely  man,  if  he  is  a  Roman  and  a  Publican,  and 
he  offers  splendid  pay  and  says  he  will  have  me  taught 
everything  that  the  Greeks  and  Romans  know,  and  —  and 
— ^"  The  girl  paused,  hesitating  and  blushing,  and  with 
infantine  unconsciousness  thrust  out  her  tongue  and  made  a 
little  grimace.  She  was  thinking  of  the  many  other  prom- 
ises of  Honorius, —  to  make  her  a  fine  lady,  and  all  his 
flattering  words ;  but  somehow  she  could  not  tell  Jesus  about 
them. 

But  Jesus  marked  her  embarrassment,  and  pressed  her 
further.  "  And  what,  what  else  was  there  ?  "  he  urged. 
"  Probably  he  said  j^ou  would  become  the  wife  of  some 
Roman  nabob,  and  perhaps  even  his  own:  wasn't  that  it.''  " 

"  I  won't  tell  you  anything  if  you  talk  that  way  to  me," 
answered  the  girl,  petulantly.  "  But  I  don't  care,  for 
Mother  says  that  some  of  the  greatest  men  in  Rome  have 
Hebrew  wives,  and  we  know  that  Joanna,  the  wife  of  King 
Herod's  Roman  steward  Chusa,  is  a  Jewess  of  Magdala. 
Mother  says  she  used  to  know  her  well." 

"  O  Mary !  Mary !  Mary !  "  Jesus'  manner  is  stern  and 
reproachful,  but  there  is  in  his  voice  a  tone  of  anguish, 
almost  of  despair. 

The  girl  is  becoming  more  and  more  troubled  in  looks 
and  manner ;  her  eyes  are  no  more  lifted  to  meet  Jesus',  and 
she  is  pulling  in  pieces  the  flowers  she  holds  in  her  hands. 
The  gazelle,  approaching  from  behind,  nibbles  and  pulls  at 
the  fastenings  of  her  garment,  and  she  turns  and  strikes  it 


THE  YOUNG  CARPENTER  71 

angrily.  The  gazelle,  terrified  by  such  an  unusual  saluta- 
tion, springs  away  in  affright,  and  then  turns  and  looks 
at  its  young  mistress  with  such  grieved  and  tender  eyes 
that  she  calls  it  to  her,  and,  putting  her  arms  about  its 
neck,  begs  its  forgiveness  with  loving  words  and  kisses. 

Jesus  looked  on  with  wistful,  devouring  eyes.  Mary 
continued  to  fondle  the  gazelle,  and  Jesus  at  length  con- 
tinued. "  You  told  me  not  long  ago  that  you  didn't  want 
to  go  to  Tiberias,  and  that  the  thought  of  it  was  hateful 
to  you ;  but  now  I'm  afraid !  I'm  afraid !  "  Mary  did 
not  answer,  and  Jesus  went  on :  "  To  say  nothing  of  go- 
ing to  service  with  a  heathen  and  a  Roman  Publican,  which 
no  right  minded  daughter  of  Abraham  would  ever  willingly 
do,  Tiberias  is,  as  you  well  know,  a  place  polluted  and  un- 
clean. Antipas  is  building  a  great  amphitheater  there  and 
adorning  it  with  heathen  ornaments  of  graven  images  and 
statues  of  men  and  beasts ;  and  even  his  great  synagogue 
is  on  ground  where  dead  men's  bones  were  dug  up,  and  the 
whole  place  is  an  offense  in  the  sight  of  God.  Now  I  want 
3'ou  to  pi'omise  me,  and  make  a  solemn  vow,  now  and  here, 
that  you  will  not  go  to  Tiberias." 

The  girl  glanced  up  for  an  instant,  but  meeting  now 
the  steadfast  gaze  of  Jesus  she  lowered  her  eyes  again,  and 
after  a  pause  answered  timidly :  "  I  don't  know  what  right 
you  have  to  demand  such  a  promise  of  me." 

"  The  right  of  a  man  to  save  a  woman  from  infamy," 
Jesus  burst  out  passionately.  "  If  your  father  and  Master 
Simon  are  too  weak  and  servile  to  do  it,  /  must  do  it.  You 
must  promise  me,  Mar}^  I  cannot  take  no  for  an  answer, 
nor  permit  any  kind  of  evasion.  You  must  not  go  to 
Tiberias.  Now  stop  playing  with  that  animal,  hold  up 
your  right  hand,  and  repeat  after  me." 

The  girl  pushed  the  gazelle  gently  away,  raised  her  right 
hand,  and  without  looking  up  repeated  after  Jesus,  "  In  the 
presence  of  the  one  living  and  true  God  " :  "  In  the  pres- 
ence of  the  one  living  and  true  God ;  "  "I  promise  " :  "I 


72  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

promise " ;  "  Not  to  go  to  Tiberias  " :  "  Not  to  go  to 
Tiberias  ;  "  "  For  any  purpose  whatever  " :  "  For  any  pur- 
pose whatever ;  "  "  So  help  me  God,  and  keep  me  stead- 
fast " :  "  So  help  me  God,  and  keep  me  steadfast." 

"  Is  that  all?  "  asked  the  girl  at  length,  looking  up  de- 
murely. 

"  That  is  all  now,  and  may  God  give  you  peace." 
The  girl,  heedless  of  the  gazelle's  wild  antics  to  attract 
her  attention,  moved  away  with  slow  steps  and  downcast 
eyes.  Jesus  returned  to  his  work  with  an  air  and  manner 
greatly  changed.  No  listless  abstraction  now,  no  false 
strokes,  but  swift,  sure,  and  strong ;  the  chips  fly,  and  the 
work,  beautiful  and  true,  grows  under  his  hand  like  magic. 


I 


VIII 


THE  HILL-TOP 

"  All  these,  on  the  heights  under  which  they  nestled,  were  every- 
day sights  of  Jesus,  from  the  round  summit  behind  His  own  high- 
land Nazareth." —  Geike. 

The  building  of  the  city  of  Tiberias  by  Antipas  is  one  of 
those  strange  freaks  of  unbridled  power  of  which  the  an- 
cient world  affords  so  many  examples.  Abandoning  Sep- 
phoris,  a  city  splendidly  and  healthily  situated  and  pro- 
vided at  immense  labor  and  cost  with  every  luxury,  facility, 
and  defense,  he  removed  his  seat  of  government  to  a  hot  and 
malarious  district  where  he  built  a  new  city  for  his  capital. 
By  the  lavish  use  of  money  and  unlimited  power  the  city 
grew  in  a  few  years  from  a  waste  swamp  to  a  metropolis  of 
vast  wealth  and  magnificence,  and  was  accounted  second 
only  to  Caesarea  among  the  cities  of  Palestine. 

As  previously  related,  no  strict  Jew  could  be  induced 
either  to  take  up  an  abode  there  or  to  assist  in  any  way 
in  its  construction.  Roman  architects  and  "  heathen " 
laborers  and  artisans  had  been  employed  almost  exclu- 
sively. Many  thousands  of  workmen  had  been  engaged 
in  the  work,  which  had  progressed  with  marvelous  rapidit}^, 
but  not  fast  enough  to  satisfy"  the  haste  of  Antipas. 
Accordingly  the  decree  had  gone  forth  that  skilled  work- 
men from  all  over  Galilee  and  Perea  should  be  forced 
to  labor  a  certain  time  at  the  new  capital.  Jesus  was  one 
of  those  so  selected.  There  was  no  release  except  by  the 
payment  of  a  large  sum  of  mone\'^,  which  Jesus  was  wholly 
unable  to  procure ;  and  the  penalty  of  refusal  was  chains 
and  the  dungeon. 

The  conditions  in  the  Nazareth  home  at  this  time  made 
the    requirement    peculiarly    trying.      Jesus'    mother,    no 

73 


74  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

longer  young,  was  suffering  from  overwork  and  anxiety. 
Doris,  the  invalid  sister,  still  required  constant  care  and  as- 
sistance, and  Jude  being  still  away,  the  burden  rested  almost 
wholly  upon  Jesus.  His  daily  toil  alone  stood  between  his 
mother  and  sister  and  utter  destitution.  As  much  as  possi- 
ble he  did  piece  work  at  home,  and  while  so  doing  the  home 
life  was  beautiful  and  satisfying.  On  fine  mornings  Jesus 
often  carried  his  sister  out  of  doors  and  laid  her  on  a  rude 
couch  where  she  could  see  him  at  his  work ;  sometimes  at 
evening  he  carried  her  to  the  top  of  the  hill  behind  the  town 
and  placed  her  in  the  shade  of  the  great  olive  tree  that 
crowned  the  height.  Often  the  mother  went  with  them  to 
this  resort  to  enjoy  with  her  children  the  fresh  breeze  and 
the  inspiring  scene.  With  her  spindle  and  distaff  she  could 
still  be  busy  while  sitting  with  them  under  the  tree,  and  at 
the  same  time  teach  them  from  objects  in  view  the  story 
of  Israel's  struggles  and  triumphs. 

The  Land  of  Promise  was  here  spread  out  before  them 
in  a  large  measure.  Thirty  miles  southward,  hidden  by  the 
Samaritan  hills,  whose  tops  are  visible,  lies  Shechem,  where 
Abraham  sojourned  and  pastured  his  flocks  nearly  two 
thousand  years  before.  Joseph's  grave  is  there,  and  Ebal 
and  Gerizim ;  nearer  still  lie  the  mountains  of  Gilboa,  where 
Saul  and  the  loved  Jonathan  fell  before  the  hated  Philis- 
tine. Aphek  is  in  plain  view,  where  the  mighty  host  of 
Benhadad  was  smitten  before  Israel;  westward,  and  al- 
most at  their  feet,  is  the  valley  of  Kishon,  where  Deborah 
and  Barak  won  their  immortal  renown, —  and  Carmel's 
mighty  head  land,  green  against  the  sapphire  sea,  where 
Elijah  called  down  the  rain  from  Heaven  and  slew  the 
priests  of  Baal.  The  pious  Israelites  of  Jesus'  time  lived 
much  in  the  past,  and  upon  its  glorious  record  fed  their 
hopes  of  the  future.  They  believed  implicitly  in  all  that 
the  Law  and  the  Prophets  taught  of  God's  special  love  and 
promises  to  them,  and  with  sublime  patience  awaited  the  sure 
deliverance. 


THE  HILL-TOP  75 

Jesus  with  his  mother  and  sister  were  talking  of  these 
things,  tlie  evening  before  Jesus'  final  departure  for  Ti- 
berias. They  had  gone  to  the  hill-top  to  take  a  farewell 
look  at  the  scene  so  loved,  and  they  lingered  there  till 
after  dark.  Now  that  the  sun  is  setting,  we  can  see  in 
clear  outline  the  billowy  hills  that  rise  northwards,  wave 
over  wave,  to  far  off  Lebanon.  The  white-washed  walls 
of  dwellings  in  a  hundred  towns  and  villages  on  their  sides 
shine  clearly  through  the  pure  air,  and  over  all,  sixty 
miles  away,  towers  the  snowy  cap  of  Hermon,  white  and 
pure   against  the  purple  sk3\ 

Southwards  again,  and  far  beneath  them  on  the  plain 
below,  the  sun's  last  rays  bring  out  in  full  relief  the  creep- 
ing caravan  that  stretches  eastward  out  of  sight.  It  is 
the  time  for  the  evening  prayer;  and  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet  from  the  Nazareth  Synagogue  floats  up  mellow 
and  clear  to  the  watchers  on  the  hill.  The  mother  lays  aside 
her  spindle  and  distaff,  and  she  and  her  children  bow  them- 
selves in  prayer,  uttering  the  same  words  that  every  Jew 
is  repeating  throughout  the  world.  "  Hear,  O  Israel ! 
The  Lord  our  God  is  one  God " 

When  the  prater  is  ended,  the  shadows  of  evening  are 
falling  on  valley  and  plain,  the  winding  caravan  can  no 
longer  be  seen,  but  the  snow-crown  of  Hermon  still  glitters 
with  the  sun's  last  rays,  while  the  moon,  rising  over  the 
far  eastern  mountains,  silvers  the  hill-tops  and  shines  upon 
the  white-walled  cottages  of  Cana,  of  Nain,  and  of  Naz- 
areth. 

Jesus  and  his  mother  and  sister  still  lingered,  gazing 
silently  upon  the  familiar  scene  and  each  busy  with  his 
own  thoughts.  At  length  the  mother  took  up  her  spindle 
and  distaff,  but  Jesus  interposed  and  took  them  out  of  her 
hands.  "  No,  Mother !  Please  don't  work  any  more  to- 
day. Maybe  it  is  the  last  time  we  shall  be  together;  so 
let  us  talk." 

"  Alas,  my  son,  it  is  like  the  people  of  Babylon  demand- 


76  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ing  of  our  captive  forefathers  a  song,  when  they  could 
only  hang  their  harps  on  the  willows  and  weep.  If  we 
could  only  keep  our  home,  the  home  of  your  forefathers 
for  hundreds  of  years,  and  know  that  sometime  you  would 
come  back  to  us  here,  we  could  work  on,  and  endure;  but 
Shunam  will  invent  some  new  tax  as  soon  as  you  are  gone 
and  sell  us  out  of  house  and  home." 

There  was  silence  for  some  moments,  in  which  the 
mother  unconsciously^  and  from  sheer  habit  resumed  her 
spinning,  Jesus,  standing  with  folded  arms,  and  face 
towards  Carmel,  which  still  loomed  dark  in  the  glowing 
west,  was  too  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts  to  notice;  and 
after  a  time  he  began  speaking  again.  "  Yes,  I  have 
thought  of  it  before;  it  may  so  happen.  James  has  all 
he  can  do  to  support  his  own  family,  and  Jude, —  poor 
brother!  of  course  we  can  expect  nothing  of  him.  In- 
deed, I  am  not  sure  but  that  we  should  be  helping  him 
rather,  and,  forsaking  all,  cast  in  our  own  lot  with  him. 
It  is  a  time  of  trial  for  all.  Those  days  spoken  of  by 
Daniel  the  Prophet,  when  the  Archangel  Michael  shall 
stand  up  and  trouble  shall  come  upon  Israel  such  as  never 
was  before,  are  no  doubt  at  hand.  The  Rabbi  Sadduc 
says  that  the  Messiah  is  here  now,  and  Jude  believes  that 
Jacobus  is  He.  We  must  beware  lest  we  fight  against 
God.  Cousin  Simon  has  already  gone  to  join  Jacobus, 
and,  Mother,  do  you  know  there  are  hundreds  of  young 
men  here  in  Nazareth  and  in  Cana  and  Capernaum  who 
secretly  belong  to  the  Zealots.'^  I  am  urged  by  many  to 
forsake  all,  and  go  now  to  join  Jacobus  in  Perea  rather 
than  go  to  the  unclean  service  of  Herod  at  Tiberias.  If 
Father  were  alive  to-day,  what  would  he  say.'^  What  do 
you  say  ?  " 

It  was  an  awful  moment.  The  mother  dropped  her 
spindle  in  her  lap  but  did  not  answer.  Suddenly  a  night- 
ingale in  the  olive  tree  overhead  began  pouring  forth  its 
sad,  plaintive  song;  and  from  the  fountain  on  the  hillside 


THE  HILL-TOP  77 

beneath  thcin  a  late  water  carrier,  in  high  tenor,  like  a  cry, 
started  up  the  well-known  psalm :  "  By  the  rivers  of 
Babylon,  there  we  sat  down ;  yea,  we  wept,  when  we  re- 
membered Zion."  The  mother  bowed  her  face  in  her 
hands  while  sobs  shook  her  frame,  and  Doris,  too,  was 
weeping  silentl3\  Jesus  came  and  kneeled  by  his  moth- 
er's side,  and  she  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  wept, 
crying,  "  O  my  son,  my  son,  may  the  God  of  Sabaoth  be 
with  thee,  to  guard  and  guide  as  He  did  our  Father  Jacob 
of  old."  For  some  time  the  mother  wept  in  silence  on  the 
breast  of  her  son,  and  then,  with  an  effort  composing  and 
straightening  herself,  she  went  on :  "  It  is  as  you  say : 
we  must  beware  lest  we  fight  against  God;  better  far  were 
it  that  a  mill-stone  were  hanged  about  our  necks  and  we 
were  drowned  in  the  depths  of  the  sea.  That  the  ]Mes- 
siah  is  surely  at  hand,  who  will  restore  the  Kingdom  to 
Israel,  we  all  believe,  but  who  and  where?  You  remember 
that  Jacobus,  Avhen  last  here  with  Jude,  distinctly  denied 
being  himself  the  Messiah,  and  your  grandfather  Joazer 
has  often  told  you  how  a  great  many  in  Israel  believed 
that  Jacobus'  father  Judas  and  his  grandfather  Ezekias 
was  the  jNIessiah,  and  how  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
the  noblest  young  men  of  Galilee  were  hewn  in  sunder, 
tortured,  and  nailed  to  crosses  for  following  them.  Your 
father,  as  you  know,  was  heart  and  soul  a  Zealot  for  the 
Law,  as  much  as  Jacobus,  and  he  loved  Jacobus  and  his 
brothers  as  his  own  soul;  but  he  always  opposed  their 
methods,  for  he  said  we  must  wait  patiently  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  True  Messiah,  which,  he  said,  would  be  as  plain 
and  unmistakable  as  the  rising  of  the  sun  in  a  clear  sky, 
whose  light  would  shine  to  the  ends  of  the  earth." 


IX 

THE  MAN 

"  But  was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are." 

It  is  a  year  later,  and  Jesus  is  again  with  his  mother 
and  sister  at  Nazareth.  Brother  Jude  is  also  at  home,  but 
not  now  present  with  the  family.  He  has  but  lately  re- 
turned from  a  long  sojourn  with  Jacobus  in  Perea  and  has 
signified  his  resolution  to  stay  at  home  for  a  time  and  help ; 
but  he  has  remained  for  the  most  part  sullen,  moody,  and 
silent,  seeking  companionship  with  fellow  Zealots  rather 
than  "with  his  mother  and  sister. 

It  is  evening,  and  Mary  and  Doris  are  seated  with  Jesus 
beneath  the  great  fig  tree  that  has  stood  for  centuries  in 
the  little  garden  back  of  the  house.  The  tears  and  em- 
braces of  the  joyful  meeting  are  past,  and  the  reunited 
family  are  telling  one  another  the  story  of  their  year's 
experiences.  Doris,  who  has  recovered  her  health  suffi- 
ciently to  be  of  some  help,  is  plying  the  spindle  and  dis- 
taff, while  the  mother  is  setting  out  the  evening  meal. 
There  is  no  kid  or  fatted  calf,  but  all  the  carefully  hoarded 
treasures  of  her  larder  Mary  sets  forth  for  the  returned 
loved  one;  yet  when  all  is  brought  out,  it  is  still  a  very 
simple  meal, —  barley  bread  and  some  dried  fish,  the  latter 
sent  long  ago  as  a  present  by  Father  Joazer,  a  jar  of  figs 
from  the  tree  over  their  heads,  onions  and  cucumbers  from 
the  garden,  and  the  last  of  some  precious  conserve  of  pome- 
granate, put  up  in  the  happier  times  of  long  ago. 

When  all  was  ready,  Jesus,  as  was  customary,  asked  a 
blessing  on  the  food;  but  to  the  pain  and  astonishment  of 
his  mother,  instead  of  the  set  form  used  by  all  Jews  time 
out  of  mind  he  said  simply,  "  We  thank  Thee,  our  Father, 
for  this  meeting  together  again,  and  for  this  food.     Fill 

78 


THE  MAN  79^ 

our  hearts  with  love  and  joy  and  gratitude  to  thee  for 
these  great  blessings,  and  let  them  give  us  strength  and 
courage  to  do  the  work  which  is  ours  to  do.     Amen." 

When  Jesus  opened  his  eyes  his  first  glance  fell  in- 
stinctively upon  his  mother.  There  was  a  look  of  anguish 
on  her  gentle  face,  and  a  tear  was  silently  coursing  down 
her  cheek.  "  Forgive  me,  Mother,"  he  said,  gently,  "  I 
won't  do  so  any  more,  if  it  hurts  you  so ;  but  somehow  in 
my  lonely  sohtude  at  Tiberias  I  got  in  a  way  of  praying 
just  as  I  felt ;  and  many  days  I  seemed  to  get  nearer  to  God 
by  so  doing  than  when  I  used  only  the  formal  prayer. 
But  if  you  would  rather  I  use  the  prayers  you  have  always 
heard,  I  will  use  them." 

The  mother  brushed  the  tears  from  her  cheeks  and  tried 
to  smile  upon  Jesus,  but  there  was  still  a  shadow  of  pain 
and  doubt  in  her  expressive  face.  "  Perhaps  it  is  foolish 
in  me,"  she  said,  "  but  somehow  it  seemed  to  me  that  by 
living  among  the  Heathen  so  long  at  Tiberias  you  had 
adopted  some  of  their  ways,  and,  I  am  sure,  it  is  safer  to 
stand  by  the  customs  of  our  Fathers.  O  my  son !  my  son ! 
Remember  that  Nadab  and  Abihu,  sons  of  Aaron,  and 
holy  priests,  were  stricken  down  of  God  before  the  altar 
Avhen  they  offered  strange  "fire,  and  it  is  because  we,  as  a 
people,  have  forsaken  His  ways,  the  ways  of  the  Fathers, 
that  we  have  fallen  upon  these  evil  times.  Remember  the 
words  of  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  who  says :  '  Thou  shalt 
honor  Him,  not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine 
own  pleasure,  nor  speaking  thine  own  words!  '  " 

"  I  will  remember  all  you  say.  Mother,"  answered  Jesus, 
"  but  don't  think  I  am  turning  heathen.  What  I  have 
seen  in  Tiberias  has  turned  me  against  all  Heathendom 
more  than  ever."  Doris  here  interposed  by  inquiring 
about  Tiberias  and  asked  Jesus  to  tell  them  all  about  what 
he  had  seen  and  heard  there  and  what  he  had  had  to  do. 
"  Oh,  the  less  said  about  that  the  better,"  Jesus  replied. 
"  I  want  to  banish  it  all  from  my  mind,  and  if  possible. 


80  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

let  it  be  a  blank  in  my  life.  I  had  rather  talk  about  how 
you  have  got  along  here!  How  did  you  manage  to  pay 
the  taxes,  or  was  Shunam  a  little  merciful  for  once?  " 
The  women  exchanged  questioning  glances,  showing  some 
embarrassment,  but  did  not  answer.  "  Come,  I  want  to 
know,"  continued  Jesus.  "Doris,  how  was  it.''  Ah!  I 
have  it  now !  You  had  to  sell  Mother's  head-dress  of 
coins :  else  Doris  would  surely  have  it  on  to-day ;  and 
Father's  Teraphim, —  is  that  gone,  too  ?  Alas,  alas ! 
And  nothing  left  but  the  bare  walls."  And  Jesus  knew 
that  there  was  missing  many  an  ancient  heirloom  that  had 
been  handed  down  from  father  to  son  through  many  gen- 
erations. 

There  were  tears  again  in  the  eyes  of  the  women,  and 
the  mother  at  length  said :  "  Yes,  we  have  had  to  suffer 
some  privations,  and  to  part  with  things  we  would  wish  to 
keep,  but  the  little  home  is  still  ours.  Doris  is  improved 
in  health,  and  you  are  restored  to  us.  We  have  much  to 
be  thankful  for :  blessed  be  God." 

Jesus  inquired  who  had  got  the  Teraphim  and  head- 
dress, and  if  they  could  be  redeemed.  He  was  told  that 
Shunam  had  taken  all  for  taxes ;  and  the  mother  repeated 
the  old  story  of  the  antiquity  of  the  precious  things,  and 
how  they  came  from  Babylon,  and  how  she  had  refused  to 
let  the  Teraphim  go  until  Shunam  had  promised  to  hold  it 
a  year  for  redemption.  Jesus  had  heard  the  story  of  the 
Teraphim  since  his  earliest  recollection,  and  how  it  had 
saved  his  grandfather  from  a  cruel  death  in  the  days  of 
the  elder  Herod;  and  he  resolved  to  redeem  It  as  soon  as 
possible. 

Meantime  the  mother  had  brought  forth  a  small  bottle 
of  wine  and  placed  It  by  Jesus'  plate.  "  It  is  some  of  the 
famous  vintage  of  Engedi,"  she  said,  "  sent  up  by  Cousin 
Elizabeth.     It  will  do  you  good,  I  am  sure." 

"  Now,  Mother,  do  you  really  think  that  I  need  wine  or 
strong  drink.''  "     And  the  young  man,  the  image  of  health 


THE  MAN  81 

and  strength,  looked  smilingly  upon  his  mother,  and  added: 
"  No,  it  is  you  and  Doris  who  need  wine.  It  is  for  you  two 
that  Cousin  Elizabeth  sent  it,  not  for  me  by  any  means. 
Her  son  John  never  tasted  wine  in  his  life ;  and  he  is  strong 
as  an  ox,  and  supports  liis  aged  parents  in  comfort  by  the 
labor  of  his  hands."  But  the  mother  and  daughter  were 
silent,  while  tears  coursed  down  the  mother's  cheeks. 
"  What  is  it .''  "  asked  Jesus  in  alarm.  "  Has  anything 
happened  to  Jolin .''  " 

"  Alas,  we  forgot  to  tell  thee.  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth 
are  both  dead,  and  John  has  gone, —  no  one  knows  where. 
Some  say  to  join  Jacobus  in  Perea,  and  some  that  he  has 
gone  to  be  a  hermit  with  the  Essenes  in  the  wilderness  of 
Ziph." 

At  that  moment  a  footstep  was  heard  and  a  man  of  tall 
stature  approached  and  saluted  them :  "  ^lay  the  peace 
of  God  be  with  you  all."  All  arose  and  saluted,  and 
Jesus  and  the  newcomer  embraced  each  other  affection- 
ately. It  was  the  Rabbi  Sadduc,  and  when  they  were 
seated  he  called  out  a  more  detailed  account  from  Jesus  of 
his  experience  at  Tiberias, —  how  he  had  been  employed 
mostly  on  the  palace  and  grounds  of  Honorius,  and  de- 
scriptions of  the  luxury  and  magnificence  of  the  new 
capital. 

"  And  if  you  had  remained  there  another  day,"  said  the 
Rabbi,  "  3'ou  might  have  seen  our  Mary  of  Magdala,  for 
she  is  now  there  with  Honorius,  I  suppose." 

"  What !  Mary  of  INIagdala  with  Honorius  ?  "  ex- 
claimed Jesus.  It  had  grown  too  dark  to  see  the  expres- 
sion of  Jesus'  face,  but  the  tone  of  his  voice  startled  the 
good  Rabbi  and  the  women.  The  Rabbi  paused  in  some 
embarrassment,  and  Jesus  broke  out  again :  "  Tell  me  at 
once !     What  is  it  you  mean .''  " 

"  Pardon  me,  my  son !  "  answered  tlie  Rabbi.  "  I  had 
forgotten  that  you  were  so  near  a  friend  to  Mary;  but 
calm  yourself:  it  may  not  be  so  bad  as  it  at  first  appears. 


82  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Great  efforts  are  being  made  for  her  release.  Zosimius, 
the  Centurion  at  Capernaum,  knew  Mary  and  is  making  a 
stir  to  get  her  back.     We  all  hope  it  may  be  done." 

"  Then  Mary  went  not  willingly  ?  "  asked  Jesus. 

"  It  seems  not,"  answered  the  Rabbi,  a  little  doubtfully. 
"  Simon,  her  master,  says  that  she  went  Avillingly,  but  her 
father  says  not,  and  there  are  many  circumstances  that  in- 
dicate force  and  even  cruelty.  She  was  taken  away  sud- 
denly in  the  night,  and  a  maid  servant  of  Simon's  tells  me 
that  she  heard  Mary  crying  and  pleading  piteously  for 
her  liberty.  But  Honorius  is  rich  and  a  friend  of 
Antipas,  and  may  do  what  he  likes.  There  is  no  law  in 
Palestine  for  a  rich  Roman." 

Mary  and  Doris  were  eager  to  know  more  of  the  details 
of  the  abduction,  and  the  Rabbi  told  them  how  Honorius 
had  been  a  frequent  visitor  at  Hippo's  in  Capernaum,  and 
seeing  Mary  often  and  admiring  her  greatly  had  long 
sought  to  draw  her  away  to  his  new  residence  in  Tiberias, 
and  how  he  had  employed  every  art  and  resource,  bestow- 
ing many  flatteries  and  many  valuable  presents  on  Mary 
and  her  mother,  and  promising  to  advance  her  father  to  a 
lucrative  office  in  his  household  at  Tiberias.  He  had 
won  over  the  mother  and  Simon  her  master,  and  many 
believed  that  the  girl  herself  had  a  secret  leaning  towards 
what  appeared  so  tempting  a  prize. 

"  I  have  talked  with  her  often  on  the  subject,"  continued 
the  Rabbi,  "  and  warned  her  in  the  most  solemn  manner 
not  to  show  any  signs  of  yielding;  and  in  the  last  talk  I 
had  with  her,  only  a  few  days  ago,  she  told  me  that  she 
had  promised  someone  —  she  wouldn't  say  whom  —  that 
she  would  never  go  to  Tiberias,  and  she  said  she  never 
would.  I  am  sure  that  she  was  perfectly  sincere  in  this, 
and  though  she  may  have  been  tempted,  which  for  a  poor 
girl  in  her  situation  was  natural  and  in  fact  inevitable, 
plied  as  she  was  with  promises  and  flatteries  of  the  most 
alluring  nature,  I  feel  certain  that  she  never  yielded  wholly 


THE  MAN  83 

nor  went  willingly  to  Tiberias,  Mary  of  Magdala,  we 
must  remember,  comes  of  the  best  blood  in  Israel:  her 
father  has  a  clear  record  of  descent  from  the  ancient  judge 
Deborah.  Let  us  be  sure  she  will  not  disgrace  her  name 
or  lineage." 

While  the  Rabbi  was  yet  speaking  there  was  the  sound 
of  a  deep,  hollow  growl  just  beyond  the  wall  that  inclosed 
the  garden,  and  the  next  instant  one  of  those  homeless, 
wandering  dogs  that  inhabit  all  eastern  cities  set  up  a  loud, 
wolfish  howl  that  made  the  group  in  the  garden  shudder 
as  from  a  vague,  undefined  fear.  Doris,  trembling, 
clutched  at  the  arm  of  Jesus  and  shrank  away  as  from  the 
stroke  of  a  lash.  Jesus  alone  seemed  not  to  hear,  and  in  a 
voice  betokening  intense  but  subdued  excitement  took  up 
the  conversation  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

"  Father  Sadduc,"  he  said,  "  you  have  ever  been  the 
friend  of  our  family  and  now  I  am  going  to  ask  of  you  a 
great  favor.  You  have  no  family  of  your  own  and  you 
can  do  what  I  ask  without  great  sacrifice.  I  am  going 
away,  to  be  gone  I  know  not  how  long.  Brother  Jude  is 
here  now  and  I  need  not  ask  him  to  take  good  care  of  our 
mother  and  sister,  for  I  know  he  will  surely  do  for  them 
all  that  is  in  his  power;  but  so  many  things  happen,  and 
if  an}'^  thing  should  happen  to  Jude,  so  he  could  not  do 
all  that  should  be  done  for  Mother  and  Doris,  I  want  to 
ask  you  to  have  them  in  mind  and  not  let  them  suflfer. 
You  know  that  if  I  live  to  return  you  will  be  repaid  four- 
fold." Jesus  hesitated,  but  finally  went  on :  "  Perhaps 
I  am  too  fearful,  and  Jude's  being  here  should  surely  be 
enough;  and  perhaps  in  any  case  I  am  asking  too  much.''  " 

It  had  grown  too  dark  for  them  longer  to  see  one  an- 
other's faces,  and  the  silence  that  followed  was  painful  in 
the  extreme.  "  It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  me,  my  son," 
answered  the  Rabbi  at  length,  "  to  do  you  and  yours  such 
a  kindness  in  a  proper  case;  but,  as  you  say,  Jude  is  here, 
and  why  indeed  should  you  go  away.''     You  do  not  say 


84  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

where  you  are  going,  and  I  fear  that  your  concern  for 
Mary  of  Magdala  is  leading  you  into  dangerous  and  im- 
practical schemes.  I  beg  of  you  to  make  no  rash  attempts 
to  release  her  and  wait  at  least  until  the  measures  already 
taken  shall  be  tried." 

"  Will  the  eagle  give  back  his  prey  for  the  cries  of  the 
women  and  children.?  Will  the  wolf  return  the  lamb  he 
has  dragged  to  his  den  for  soft  words  and  bowing  in 
the  dust  before  him.''  I  will  do  nothing  rash:  but  I  feel 
that  I  must  go.  As  God  is  my  judge,  I  cannot  do  other- 
wise.    Mother,  you  will  not  say  me  nay,  and  Doris.''" 

The  girl  for  answer  put  her  arms  around  Jesus'  neck 
and  kissed  him  without  speaking;  the  mother  also  kissed 
him  tenderl3^,  not  daring  to  trust  her  voice.  Jesus  arose, 
and  signified  his  determination  to  go  at  once. 

"What!  Not  stay  with  us  one  night .f^"  cried  his 
mother,  weeping.  "  Oh,  how  can  I  let  you  go !  My  son ! 
My  son !  " 

"  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  rest.  Mother,  till  I  have  done 
something,  till  at  least  I  know  more." 

There  were  more  tender  leave  takings,  and  the  good 
Rabbi  embraced  Jesus  and  gave  him  his  blessing :  "  May 
the  God  of  Abraham,  and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob  be  with 
thee  and  guard  and  help  thee,  as  He  did  them,  and  may 
he  send  fear  and  confusion  into  the  hearts,  of  the  heathen, 
our  enemies." 

"  In  His  fear  do  I  walk  all  the  day  long,"  was  Jesus' 
answer.  Then  he  moved  swiftly  away,  sprang  over  the 
wall,  and  was  gone. 


X 


TIBERIAS 

"  The  city  was  peopled  chiefly  hy  adventurers,  and  adorned  with 
an  Amphitheater,  of  which  the  ruins  can  still  be  traced." —  Edersheim. 

From  tlic  days  of  Herod  the  Great  the  pohcy  of  gov- 
ernment in  Palestine  had  been  to  break  down  Jewish  preju- 
dice against  foreign  influence  and  to  win  away  the  people 
to  the  corrupting  manners  and  religion  of  their  Roman 
Masters.  With  two  classes  of  Jews  this  effort  had  been 
in  some  measure  successful.  The  very  rich  and  the  very 
poor,  in  this  instance  as  in  all  others,  had  been  the  first  to 
yield  to  corrupting  influences.  The  degeneracy,  begin- 
ning with  the  High  Priestly  families  of  Jerusalem  and 
their  hosts  of  servile  retainers,  had  spread  more  slowly  in 
Galilee  and  was  resisted  with  fanatical  zeal  by  the  sturdy 
middle-class  yeomen  of  field  and  workshop.  Renegade 
Jews  of  the  lowest  class,  and  in  very  considerable  numbers, 
were  holding  lucrative  positions  in  the  employment  of  opu- 
lent Romans  and  Greeks,  yielding  acquiescence  to  the 
heathen  practices  of  their  lords  and  masters  and  appar- 
ently forgetful  of  Moses  and  the  Law.  But  even  these,  a 
few  years  later,  in  the  final  war  that  extinguished  the  Jew- 
ish Nation,  were  found  almost  to  a  man  sword  in  hand 
and  ready  to  die  for  the  Law  and  liberty. 

It  was  no  doubt  in  pursuance  of  this  policy  that  Antipas 
had  built  Tiberias,  and  together  with  a  magnificent  syna- 
gogue had  erected  there  temples  to  Venus  and  Dionysius, 
a  temple  to  the  Emperor  for  whom  the  city  was  named, 
and  also  an  immense  amphitheater  for  the  celebration  of 
heathen  games.  The  parks,  gardens,  and  all  public  places 
were  adorned  with  images  and  statues  offensive  to  Jewish 
eyes  as  forbidden  by  the  second  command  in  the  Deca- 

85 


86  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

logue.  When  Jesus  was  dismissed  from  his  servitude  at 
Tiberias,  the  city  was  practically  finished  and  as  soon  as 
might  be  the  celebration  of  the  event  was  begun. 

A  sufficient  number  of  renegade  priests  were  found  to 
officiate  in  the  synagogue  and  that,  with  the  temples,  was 
opened  with  magnificent  and  imposing  ceremonies ;  and  the 
great  amphitheater  received  its  baptism  of  blood  in  Roman 
games  and  gladiatorial  combats.  At  night  there  were 
torch  and  Greek-fire  displays  from  superbly-decked  galleys 
on  the  lake,  followed  by  the  revelries  of  the  banquet  in  the 
palaces  of  Antipas  and  his  friends.  Great  multitudes  had 
attended  upon  these  festivities,  and  Antipas  and  his  friends 
had  accepted  the  omen  with  undisguised  exultation. 

There  had,  however,  been  comparatively  few  of  the 
children  of  Abraham  in  attendance  and  the  multitude  that 
filled  the  amphitheater  to  overflowing  was  made  up  chiefly 
of  Greeks  from  the  free  cities  of  Decapolis,  and  Canaanites 
and  Syrians,  great  numbers  of  whom  inhabited  the  cities  of 
Palestine,  even  Nazareth  and  Capernaum. 

It  is  the  night  following  upon  the  last  day  of  these 
festivities,  and  Antipas  and  his  friends  are  assembled  as 
the  guests  of  Honorius.  Second  only  to  Antipas'  own, 
the  palace  and  grounds  of  Honorius  are  of  great  extent 
and  magnificence,  and  no  expense  has  been  spared  to  make 
the  occasion  one  long  to  be  remembered  even  by  these  har- 
dened revelers  of  a  sensual  and  decadent  age.  The  guests 
were  of  many  nations  and  tongues ;  for  Palestine  had  come 
to  be  a  very  polyglot  of  nations,  and  the  educated  class 
had  to  know  not  only  the  vernacular  Aramaic  but  also  the 
language  of  their  Roman  masters  and  governors,  and 
Greek,  the  language  of  commerce,  of  polite  learning,  and 
of  the  Court.  To  this  the  pious  Jew  must  add  Hebrew, 
the  language  of  the  Law  and  of  the  Sacred  Oracles. 
And  so  to  this  feast  of  Honorius  were  gathered  Roman 
Knights,  arid  Greek,  Egyptian,  Phoenician,  and  Syrian 
nobles,  philosophers,  savants,  and  adventurers;  rich  Sad- 


TIBERIAS  8T 

ducees  also, —  Hebrews  of  the  purest  blood :  Sanballat  was 
there,  and  Rabbi  Boethus.  Simon  and  Hippo  of  Caper- 
naum, whom,  we  know,  were  invited  and  had  been  present 
during  the  ceremonies  of  the  day,  excused  themselves  from 
the  night  banquet  on  the  plea  of  ill  health;  so  also  with 
Aretas,  the  Arabian  king,  and  father-in-law  of  Antipas. 
He  could  endure  the  hollow  mockeries  of  religious  cere- 
monials in  the  dedication  of  temples, —  but  the  wily  and 
abstemious  Ishmaelite  found  a  convenient  headache  a  wel- 
come release  from  excesses  to  which  he  was  neither  accus- 
tomed nor  disposed. 

There  was  no  lack  of  women  at  the  feast,  some  of  them 
held  as  wives  but  mostly  mistresses  and  divorced.  Galla 
the  ]Moabitess,  whom  we  saw  in  the  train  of  Sanballat,  is 
here  with  the  dark-browed  Glaphyra,  whose  mother,  an- 
other Glaphyra,  had  borne  her  to  Juba  the  Libyan  King, 
and  whose  beauty  had  driven  Archelaus  to  crime.  She 
has  a  history,  as  does  also  Lamia,  the  beautiful  Greek,  who 
recites  poetry  and  talks  of  Plato  and  Aristophanes. 
Macro,  the  future  successor  of  Scjanus,  is  here,  and  others 
who  like  him  have  hobnobbed  with  Tiberias  himself  in  those 
unspeakably  obscene  orgies  for  which  the  great  Emperor 
became  famous.  For  the  entertainment  of  these  Honorius 
has  not  scrupled  to  borrow  of  his  neighbors,  and  Antipas 
has  contributed  a  large  number  of  the  attendants  and 
skilled  performers.  Of  these  last  there  are  dancers  of 
both  sexes,  and  from  distant  countries  jugglers,  mimes, 
and  musicians  of  all  kinds,  vocal  and  instrumental,  acro- 
bats, wrestlers,  and  men  skilled  in  sword  play.  Nothing 
is  lacking. 

The  feast  is  intended  to  be  a  copy  on  a  smaller  scale  of 
those  Roman  banquets  introduced  by  Cataline,  refined  and 
embellished  by  Cleopatra  and  her  paramours,  and  brought 
to  utmost  perfection  a  generation  later  by  Caligula  and 
Nero.  Antipas,  while  at  Rome  enjoying  the  favor  of 
Augustus,   had   been   a   frequent   partaker   of  these   ban- 


88  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

quets  and,  like  Honorius,  was  looked  upon  as  a  connoisseur 
in  the  noble  art  of  banqueting.  The  triclinium  or  ban- 
queting hall  is  a  vast  room,  with  high  arched  roof  and 
twice  as  long  as  wide.  On  three  sides  and  against  the 
wall  is  ranged  a  continuous  low  couch  or  divan,  with  heaps 
of  cushions  upholstered  with  real  damask  from  Damascus 
and  with  Tyrian  trimmings  of  blue  and  gold.  Before  and 
against  these  couches  are  the  tables,  spread  with  the  feast 
and  adorned  with  a  costly  service  of  silver  and  gold  and 
every  device  of  luxury.  The  middle  of  the  room  has  no 
other  furnishing  than  statues  of  various  gods  and  goddesses, 
done  in  marble,  Corinthian  brass,  and  terra  cotta,  with 
golden  tripods  for  lamps  and  incense.  This  central  space 
is  for  the  attendant  slaves  and  servants  and,  on  occasion, 
for  theatric  shows  and  representations.  The  fourth  side  or 
end  of  the  room  is  occupied  by  a  dais  or  platform,  with 
curtains  and  side  lights,  where  most  of  the  histrionic  per- 
formances are  given.  The  background  and  entrances  of 
this  stage  are  in  deep  shadow.  On  this  background  of 
darkness  it  was  that  the  handwriting  appeared  to  the  ter- 
rified Belshazzar:  "  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin."  The 
sides  of  the  hall  are  covered  between  the  niches  for  statuary 
with  paintings  drawn  from  Greek  and  Roman  legend, — 
as  the  Feast  of  the  Lapithse,  the  Marriage  Feast  of 
Peleus  and  Thetis,  the  Rape  of  the  Sabine  Women,  and 
one  even  from  Jewish  sacred  history,  the  Rape  of  the 
Daughters  of  Shiloh  by  the  Benjamites;  there  are  feast- 
ing scenes,  and  scenes  of  wild  Bacchanalian  revelry. 

It  is  past  midnight,  but  as  the  entertainment  is  ex- 
pected to  outlast  the  night  the  courses  are  served  at  long  in- 
tervals, giving  ample  time  for  conversation,  witticisms,  and 
salacious  stories.  Much  of  the  spectacular  entertainment 
has  already  passed.  The  wrestlers,  the  acrobats,  the  In- 
dian and  Egyptian  jugglers,  and  the  nautch  dancers  have 
shown  their  skill.  And  now,  to  crown  the  entertainment, 
the  Master  of  Ceremonies  announces  a  representation  of 


TIBERIAS  89 

the  death  of  Pentheus  in  a  Bacchic  dance,  to  end  in  a  brief 
presentation  of  Prometheus  Bound.  All  the  flambeaux  of 
cinnamon,  cedar,  and  balsam  and  the  lamps  have  gone  out ; 
but  flitting  here  and  there  like  fire  flies  through  the  great 
hall  are  naked  children,  drugged  to  keep  them  awake  and 
lively,  each  with  bow  and  arrows  and  a  small  torch  of  burn- 
ing nard,  whose  odors,  like  Lethean  draughts,  stifle  all 
sense  of  guilt  or  shame.  The  light  is  dim,  and  the  stage 
at  the  end  of  the  hall  is  but  faintly  illumined  by  concealed 
side  lights  that  at  moments  blaze  out  with  lurid  glare  and 
again  wane  and  go  out. 

Twelve  Syrian  girls,  bearing  flutes,  cymbals,  and 
thyrses,  and  naked  but  for  the  abundant  encircling  bands 
and  wreaths  of  vine  and  ivy,  now  come  upon  the  stage 
and  begin  their  mystic  dance.  At  first  slowly  circling 
and  winding,  they  artfully  conceal  their  forms  by  the  in- 
cessant movement  of  wreaths  and  iv^^-bound  thj'^rses.  At 
the  same  time,  as  if  from  overhead  and  far  away,  a  wild, 
weird,  amorous  song  of  Sappho's  fills  and  thrills  the  air 
like  a  harp.  This,  with  the  accompaniment  of  cymbals, 
flutes,  and  pan-pipes,  the  dancers  answer  with  a  like  song 
from  Anacreon.  In  the  midst  of  this  Pentheus  appears  at 
the  back  of  the  stage,  and  with  frowning  brow  and  threat- 
ening gestures  seems  to  forbid  the  rite  and  orders  them 
awa3^  At  once  the  dance,  which  has  been  thus  far  only 
weird  and  fascinating,  becomes  a  mad  orgie  of  writhing, 
twisting  bodies  and  ear-piercing  sounds.  Amid  the  din  of 
clashing  cymbals,  the  roar  of  flutes  and  pan-pipes,  the  wail 
and  shriek  of  witch-like  voices  fill  the  trembling  air  like  a 
breath  from  the  pit  of  Tophet.  The  lights  all  this  time 
are  turned  low,  till  the  strained  eye  sees  little  but  what  the 
imagination,  tortured  to  delirum,  conjures  from  the  whirl- 
ing mass.  Then  a  flood  of  lurid  light  flashes  an  instant 
across  the  stage,  revealing  forms,  features,  limbs,  and  locks 
of  unbound  hair;  and  now,  with  one  accord,  throwing 
aside  thyrses,   cymbals,   and  flutes,   with  wild   discordant 


90  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

screams  they  cast  themselves  like  harpies  on  the  intruding 
man,  and  while  the  lights  sink  low  and  go  entirely  out  they 
tear  him  limb  from  limb. 

Meanwhile  the  banqueters,  filled  with  wine,  have  aban- 
doned all  restraint:  women  stripped  naked  to  the  waist 
recline  upon  the  breasts  of  men,  whose  only  garment  is  a 
scarlet,  sleeveless  shirt,  euphemistically  called  a  tunic;  and 
wine,  wine,  wine  flows  like  a  flood. 

After  a  time  a  sweet  female  voice,  sounding  as  if  from 
above  and  far  away,  sings: 

"  Not  to  unwilling  hearers  hast  thou  uttered,  Prometheus, 
thy  request. 
And   now  with  nimble   feet,  abandoning 
My  swiftly  rushing  car. 

And  the  pure  ether,  path  of  birds  of  Heaven, 
I  will  draw  near  this  rough  and  rocky  land. 
For  much  do  I  desire 
To  hear  the  tale,  full  measure  of  thy  woe." 

The  singing  is  distant  and  indistinct  at  first,  but  grows 
each  instant  nearer  and  clearer,  while  at  the  same  time  a 
faint  light,  like  that  of  dawning  day,  begins  to  appear 
again  upon  the  stage,  and  soon  the  giant  form  of  Pro- 
metheus, bound  to  the  rock,  is  fully  seen,  with  the  twelve 
Syrian  girls  as  Ocean  Nymphs  grouped  about  him. 

Earlier  in  the  evening  there  had  been  some  rather  sharp 
passages  of  wit  between  Macro  and  the  Jewish  guests,  and 
now  Macro,  addressing  Honorius,  returned  again  to  the 
encounter.  "  You  should  have  something  more  to  the 
taste  of  our  Hebrew  friends,  Honorius,  Sanballat  here,  and 
the  Rabbi  Boethus.  Why  couldn't  you  have  given  us  a 
representation  of  the  whale  swallowing  Jonah,  or  the  pas- 
sage of  the  Red  Sea,  or  the  loves  of  David  and  Solomon, 
—  of  Solomon  in  his  harem,  for  instance ;  how  is  that, 
Sanballat.''  When  we  come  up  to  Damascus,  to  return  this 
visit,  we  shall  expect  something  spicy  in  that  line.  Your 
sacred  books,  I  believe  are  full  of  them." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Sanballat,  "  our  legends  of  gods  and 


TIBERIAS  91 

heroes  are  very  similar  to  those  of  all  other  nations.  There 
has  to  be  something  marvelous  and  sensuous  to  hold  the  at- 
tention of  the  mass  of  the  people,  such  people  as  you  and 
Eugenius ;  but  philosophers  and  statesmen  care  nothing 
about  them  one  way  or  another." 

"Do  you  hear  that,  Antipas.'' "  cried  Macro,  "hear 
this  that  Sanballat  says  about  you  statesmen  .-*  " 

But  the  statesman  Antipas  was  just  then  engaged  in 
maudlin  frolic,  trying  to  force  the  more  cautious  and  ab- 
stemious Galla  to  drink  the  portion  of  wine  that  had  for 
some  time  stood  untouched  before  her.  Of  course  the  wine 
got  spilled  where  it  should  not ;  and  Antipas,  in  too  famil- 
iarly offering  to  wipe  it  off,  got  a  sharp  slap  on  the  ear 
from  the  hand  of  Galla.  Macro  was  himself  half  drunk, 
and  mumbled  something  about  statesmen  and  even  kings 
being  subject  to  human  weaknesses,  and  then,  addressing 
himself  again  to  Sanballat,  continued. 

"  I  don't  know  so  much  about  the  philosophers  you 
speak  of,  but  I  know  that  kings, —  and  I  suppose  that 
kings  are  also  statesmen, —  and  warriors  generally  believe 
in  the  gods  and  prodigies  enough,  too.  Even  Julius 
Cfesar,  though  he  appeared  to  believe  in  no  god  at  all  and 
denied  any  kind  of  life  for  men  after  death,  is  said  to  have 
always  worn  a  charm  in  which  he  had  absolute  faith,  and 
he  believed  in  a  nation  of  Amazons  too.  Then  with  my  own 
eyes  I  have  seen  Tiberias  crawling  on  his  hands  and  knees 
before  the  image  of  Isis,  and  warrior  as  he  is  he  is  scared 
to  death  if  he  sees  three  crows  on  a  dead  branch." 

"  Well,  very  likely  some  demon  may  have  been  subject 
to  Csesar's  charm,  and  Tiberias  may  get  a  kind  of  help 
from  Egyptian  Isis,  but  they  are  all  a  poor  lot,  and  not  to 
be  depended  on.  It  stands  to  reason  that  there  is  but  one 
supreme  God." 

"  True  enough,"  answered  Macro,  "  that's  what  we  all 
believe:  the  only  question  is,  who  is  that  Supreme  God. 
Our  friend  Nicias  over  there  would  say,  the  One  Supreme 


92  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

is  Zeus ;  we  Romans  call  our  Great  One,  Jupiter,  though  to 
speak  the  truth,  we  have  long  since  ceased  to  believe  in  him. 
The  Persians  call  their  chief  god  Ahuro  Mazdao,  and  the 
Egyptians  say  that  their  god  Osiris  lords  it  over  all  the 
rest;  and  you  Jews,  worse  than  all  the  others,  pretend  to 
say  that  your  Jehovah,  alone,  is  God,  and  all  the  rest  are 
only  demons  and  enemies  of  God,  and  you  don't  more  than 
half  believe  it  yourselves;  for  you  talk  about  angels  and 
archangels,  and  cherubim  and  seraphim,  and  what  are  they 
but  a  lot  of  big  and  little  gods,  such  as  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  have.  We're  all  alike  in  this  matter  of  belief  and 
the  whole  thing  is  a  big  deception,  originating  in  phallic 
doctrines  far  back  of  all  historic  records.  Nobody  of  any 
sense  now-a-days  believes  in  gods  at  all;  such  childish  no- 
tions are,  as  you  say,  for  the  ignorant  multitude,  who, 
like  little  cliildren,  have  to  be  kept  in  place  by  toys  and 
birch-rods, —  gods  and  demons." 

Here  the  Rabbi  Boethus  took  up  the  argument.  "  No 
doubt  there  is  a  great  deal  of  humbug  about  all  religions 
at  present, —  in  fact,  we  see  it  everywhere,  but  there  must 
be  a  root  of  truth  somewhere,  and  we  Jews  believe  that 
this  root  is  revealed  in  our  sacred  writings,  and  nowhere 
else.  Men,  as  you  say,  require  toys  and  birch-rods  to 
keep  them  from  evil,  and  not  only  the  poor  and  ignorant, 
but  everybody, —  you  and  I  and  the  Emperor  himself ;  and 
so  we  have  the  promises  and  the  threatenings,  what  you 
call  the  toys  and  the  birch-rods." 

"  Bah !  "  broke  in  Macro,  "  and  what  do  you  care  for 
them?  You  Jews  all  wear  amulets  and  charms,  like  the 
Greeks  and  the  Romans,  and  trust  in  them  more  than  you 
do  in  any  promises  or  threatenings.  The  mother  of  your 
race  had  her  teraphim,  and  Joseph  his  divining  cup,  and 
Moses  and  Aaron  their  divining  rods,  and  you  to-day  trust 
more  to  those  ridiculous  things  you  bind  on  your  arms 
and  foreheads,  and  those  charms  you  nail  to  your  door- 
posts,  than  to   any  thing  else   at  all;  and  the  best   and 


TIBERIAS  93 

wisest  of  you  don't  believe  in  any  life  after  death  more 
than  Julius  Csesar  did,  or  Cato,  or  Cataline,  or  any  of  us. 
Now  isn't  that  so,  Rabbi  Boethus?" 

"  I'll  answer  your  question  by  asking  another,"  re- 
turned the  Rabbi.  "  Now  you,  as  Epicurean,  profess  en- 
tire disbelief  in  gods ;  or,  as  Epicurus  himself  puts  it,  '  if 
there  are  gods,  they  have  nothing  to  do  with  men ; '  and 
you  make  light  of  our  mezuza  and  phylacteries.  But 
please  tell  us  about  that  great  seal  ring,  with  its  Egyptian 
hieroglyph,  that  you  wear  on  your  third  finger,  and  why 
you  mutter  an  incantation  over  it  every  morning  when  you 
rise." 

The  bibulous  condition  of  all  the  guests  at  this  hour  of 
the  night  could  alone  account  for  or  excuse  such  free 
banter,  and  Antipas,  whose  interest  it  was  to  guard  against 
any  serious  outbreak  between  Jews  and  Romans,  now  came 
to  the  rescue  by  calling  upon  Honorius  for  a  new  sensa- 
tion. 

"  I  say,  Honorius,"  he  cried,  turning  away  from  Galla 
for  the  moment,  "  are  we  not  to  see  that  new  star,  or  full 
moon,  or  sun,  or  whatever  you  call  her,  that  you  have 
lately  discovered  and  brought  home  to  you  from  Magdala, 
—  or  was  it  at  Capernaum  you  got  her.?  " 

"  Yes,  by  Venus  and  Bacchus  too, "cried  Macro,  turning 
at  once  to  Honorius,  "  they  say  that  she  is  the  most  beau- 
tiful woman  in  Palestine  and  dances  better  even  than 
Salome." 

"  Look  out.  Macro,"  cried  Antipas,  laughing,  "  I'll  tell 
Salome  of  that  when  I  see  her  at  Jerusalem,  and  I'm 
going  up  there  in  a  day  or  two." 

Honorius  appeared  quite  averse  to  the  proposition  of 
Antipas,  and  made  all  the  excuses  possible;  but  at  last, 
yielding  to  the  general  clamor  and  the  superior  interest 
of  Antipas,  he  gave  the  order  for  the  unknown  woman  to 
appear  and  dance.  A  few  moments  later,  and  the  chief 
Eunuch  appeared  and  made  his  way  to  Honorius'  elbow. 


94  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

where  he  whispered  the  intelligence  that  the  damsel  sent 
for  excused  herself  and  declined  to  come.  This  Honorius 
announced  to  his  guests,  but  they  only  clamored  the  louder, 
and  all,  including  Honorius  himself,  being  by  this  time  very 
drunken,  they  were  past  listening  to  the  voice  of  mercy  or 
even  of  reason ;  and  so  Honorius  sent  again,  and  this  time 
commanded  the  Eunuch  to  use  whatever  means  might  be 
necessary  to  compel  the  damsel  to  appear  and  dance. 

After  a  time  we  hear  a  movement  on  the  stage,  and  then 
the  side  lights  begin  slowly  to  reveal  the  figure  of  a  woman 
standing  there  alone.  Gradually  the  light  increases  till  at 
last  she  stands  forth  in  a  glare  of  dazzling  brilliancy  that 
reveals  every  line  and  detail.  Like  the  rest,  our  eyes  are 
riveted  upon  the  spot  in  cruel  expectation !  Our  hearts 
have  dismally  forecast  that  it  is  She, —  Mary  of  Magdala. 
But  is  it.!^  The  woman  stands  forth  in  the  pitiless  glare, 
with  every  line  and  fibre  of  form,  feature,  and  drapery  re- 
vealed distinct  and  clear.  And  still  we  hesitate.  There  is 
the  same  matchless  form,  the  same  superb  beauty,  eyes 
and  hair  the  same,  but  changed  all, —  transfigured.  It  is  no 
longer  the  gay,  laughing  girl,  pleased  with  a  flower,  play- 
ing with  her  gazelle,  but  a  full  lived,  beautiful  woman 
newly  awoke  to  monstrous,  irrevocable  wrong.  It  is  the 
Hebrew  Medea,  if  possible,  a  more  terrible  thing  than  the 
Grecian  one.  It  was  evident  at  first  glance  that  Mary 
was  not  there  to  dance ;  not  only  her  dress  but  her  man- 
ner, bearing,  and  cast  of  countenance  betokened  far  other 
entertainment  than  dancing.  Her  apparel  was  magnifi- 
cent and  stately,  as  of  a  very  empress,  and  her  attitude 
could  not  have  been  more  proud  and  haughty  had  she  been 
Zenobia  or  Semiramis.  At  first  sight  of  her,  a  silence 
fell  upon  the  company  of  gay  revellers,  as  sudden  and 
complete  as  if  a  very  angel  of  God  had  appeared  among 
them.  Even  the  most  drunken  were  for  the  moment  so- 
bered and  awed;  and  the  timid  and  superstitious  Antipas, 
casting  off  Galla,  and  sitting  erect,  clutched  at  the  table- 


TIBERIAS  95 

edge  and  stared  with  bulging  eyes.  For  what  indeed  was 
this  figure  on  the  stage  but  a  portent !  Instead  of  a  gay 
companion  of  their  revelry,  a  nautch-dancer,  a  Thais  or 
Delilah,  was  what  appeared  a  Hebrew  Sibyl, —  a  reminder 
of  Judith  and  of  Jacl  ?  For  an  instant  Mary  stood,  fixing 
her  audience  with  eyes  that  burned  into  their  very  souls. 
To  the  majesty  of  a  queen  she  added  what  appeared 
the  ineffable  scorn,  the  contempt,  the  hate  of  a  fallen 
angel. 

"  You  have  sent  for  me,  Honorius,"  she  began,  "  as  the 
Lords  of  the  Philistines  sent  for  the  blind  Samson  in 
chains,  to  make  sport  for  them  at  their  feast.  Such  sport 
as  he  made  for  them  would  God  I  could  make  for  thee  and 
those  who  sit  at  meat  with  thee.  O  thou  heathen  monster ! 
Thou  scum  of  all  villainy!  And  was  it  not  enough  that 
thou  shouldst  be  a  devil,  but  that  thou  shouldst  also 
be  a  fool.?  What  evil  spirit  was  it  that  cheated  thee  to 
think  that  a  daughter  of  Deborah  would  stoop  to  fawn 
upon  thee,  to  share  thy  drunken  revels,  and  be  thy  slave.'' 
Did  Herod,  the  foul  murderer,  adulterer,  and  renegade, 
tempt  thee ;  or  was  it  all  those  sons  of  Belial,  drunken, 
beastly  whore-mongers  and  harlots  that  sit  at  meat  with 
thee.''  Did  they  make  thee  believe  that  with  a  nod  they 
could  make  a  daughter  of  Israel  to  become  even  as  a  Syrian 
girl.?'' 

Mary's  voice,  at  the  beginning  low  and  sepulchral  but 
distinct  and  audible  to  the  remotest  corner  of  the  great 
hall,  had  risen  as  she  proceeded  till  it  became  almost  like 
the  scream  of  a  vulture,  though  still  clear,  and  smooth 
without  breaking.  Her  whole  aspect, — face,  form,  and 
manner, —  had  grown  demoniacal ;  her  very  stature  seemed 
to  shoot  up  to  unnatural  height ;  her  great  black 
eyes  stood  out  and  gleamed  with  hellish  fire ;  her  nostrils 
curled  and  quivered  in  haughty  scorn ;  and  to  the  timid 
Antipas,  superstitious,  alarmed,  and  drunk,  the^'^  seemed  to 
emit  flame  and  smoke !     So  terrible  was  her  aspect  that  the 


96  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

fair  Greek  Lamia  imaged  in  her  the  very  Gorgons  of  old, 
with  snaky  hair  and  brazen  claws,  turning  by  her  glance 
all  things  to  stone. 

At  length,  pointing  at  the  trembling  group  a  long,  jew- 
elled finger  that  seemed  to  have  in  it  the  menace  of  a  poi- 
soned dagger,  she  cried,  "  Cowards !  Traitors !  Beasts ! 
May  the  curse  of  Almighty  God  follow  and  forever  rest 
upon  you !  God's  Curse!  God's  Curse  !  GOD'S  CURSE  !  " 
she  repeated,  with  voice  rising  in  power  and  volume  till  to 
the  cowering  victims  of  her  wrath  it  seemed  to  fill  the  world 
and  reach  to  Heaven. 

Then,  drawing  a  long,  gleaming  dagger  from  her 
robe,  she  raised  it  on  high  and  cried,  "And  may  your 
enemies  at  the  last  smite  you  thus."  But  the  ending  de- 
signed by  Mary  was  not  permitted  to  transpire.  As  she 
raised  the  dagger  the  chief  Eunuch  of  Honorius,  who  had 
been  watching  from  an  alcove  in  the  background,  rushed 
out  and  with  the  assistance  of  other  servants,  with  strug- 
gle and  wounds,  Mary  was  overpowered  and  borne  away. 

The  effect  of  all  this  upon  the  company  of  revellers  was 
for  the  moment  prodigious  and  overwhelming.  The  men 
were  stunned  and  silent;  the  women  wept  and  screamed. 
Poor  Lamia,  leaning  on  the  breast  of  Macro,  was  sob- 
bing like  a  child.  "  It  was  a  Gorgon,"  she  murmured. 
"  How  terrible !     Do  let  us  go  away !  " 

"  Gorgon  or  what,"  answered  Macro,  trembling,  "  by 
the  head  of  Pallas,  she  is  a  queen,  though.  To  somebody 
she  might  still  be  the  maid  Medusa;  but  to  Honorius  she 
is  sure  to  be  a  Gorgon." 

It  is  the  early  morning,  and  we  are  in  the  temple  square 
of  Tiberias.  How  different  from  yesterday.  The  throngs 
of  gay  revellers  that  filled  the  square,  the  streets,  the  tem- 
ples, and  the  public  gardens  are  no  more  seen, —  only  here 
and  there  a  solitary  pedestrian,  a  slave  urged  forth  by 
fear.     The  swans  in  the  pool  before  the  temple  of  Astarte 


TIBERIAS  97 

enjoy  an  unaccustomed  solitude,  and  the  Avater  pouring 
from  the  breasts  of  the  great  statue  of  Astarte  murmurs 
and  echoes  among  the  columns  of  the  empty  and  silent 
portico  of  the  temple,  where  yesternight  crowds  of  wild 
devotees  celebrated  in  darkness  the  obscene  rites  of  the 
Syrian  Queen. 

Over  against  us,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  square,  rise 
the  bare,  massive  walls  of  the  synagogue,  and  now,  as  the 
sun  rises  over  the  eastern  mountains,  the  clear,  mellow  note 
of  a  trumpet  announces  that  it  is  the  moment  of  prayer  to 
the  one  God  for  every  child  of  Abraham  throughout  the 
world.  A  poor  slave  woman,  who  has  just  filled  a  large 
jar  with  water  at  the  fountain,  lets  it  down  painfully  from 
her  shoulder  and  on  the  bare  pavement,  in  the  very  shadow 
of  the  heathen  goddess,  bows  her  head  and  repeats,  "  Hear, 
O  Israel;  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord.     .     .     ." 

On  another  side  of  the  square,  and  fronting  the  east, 
the  great  temple  dedicated  to  the  Emperor  Tiberius  raises 
an  imposing  front.  Here  Antipas,  in  servile  flattery,  has 
lavished  the  life-blood  of  Israel.  Here,  where  one  of  the 
vilest  of  mankind  is  worshipped  as  a  god,  the  obsequious 
ruler  of  Israel  has  erected  a  temple  whose  magnificence 
makes  the  heart  of  every  Jew  who  looks  upon  it  burn  with 
shame  and  indignation,  knowing,  as  he  does,  that  it  is  from 
the  blood  and  toil  of  the  people  of  God,  who  abominate 
it,  that  it  was  erected.  Now,  in  the  light  of  the  rising 
sun,  the  gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones  of  its  front 
glance  and  gleam  in  many-colored  splendor.  In  its  broad 
portico  we  may  see  columns  of  delicate  tinted  yellow 
marble  from  far  Numidia,  porphyry  and  syenite  from  the 
quarries  of  Egypt,  and  white  marbles  of  Pentelicus,  with 
statues  and  votive  offerings  hateful  to  every  Jew.  But 
grandl}'  beautiful  as  it  all  is,  in  its  wealth  and  newness, 
and  bathed  in  the  splendor  of  morning,  there  is  yet  a 
sense  of  sadness  and  depression  in  looking  upon  it  that 
cannot  be  overcome. 


98  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

The  effects  of  the  revelries  and  debaucheries  of  the  past 
few  days  and  nights  still  lie  upon  the  city,  as  well  as  upon 
its  inhabitants,  like  an  all-pervading  presage  of  judgment 
and  of  doom.  The  streets  are  unswept ;  and  vultures  and 
unclean  birds,  amidst  clouds  of  flies,  gorge  themselves  on 
the  marble  pavements,  unscared.  The  wreaths  and  fes- 
toons of  flowers  on  the  pillars  and  statues  are  withered  and 
fallen,  and  the  pavement  is  littered  with  the  refuse  of  a 
careless  multitude.  At  the  temple  of  Bacchus,  on  the 
eastern  side,  among  the  columns  and  in  dark  corners  of 
the  temple-courts,  loathsome  creatures,  men  and  women, 
are  still  sleeping  off  the  effects  of  their  debaucheries ;  and 
the  pavement  is  strewn  with  broken  thyrses,  flutes,  and 
pan-pipes,  empty  wine  skins,  and  burned  out  torches. 
Farther  along,  in  the  arena  of  the  great  amphitheater,  the 
uncaged  tigers  and  hyenas  are  licking  the  blood  from  the 
pavement  and  feeding  on  the  dead  bodies  of  slain  men. 

And  such  is  the  beginning  of  Antipas'  new  capital, 
Tiberias.  At  this  same  hour,  on  the  street  that  leads  to 
the  new  palace  of  Honorius,  may  be  seen  the  solitary  figure 
of  a  man  walking  as  if  weary  and  spent.  He  turns  in 
from  the  road  to  Capernaum,  and  as  the  gate  to  the 
grounds  of  Honorius  is  not  yet  open  he  sits  down  on  a 
stone  bench  outside  to  wait.  We  do  not  recognize  him 
at  first;  but  on  looking  more  closely  we  see  that  it  is 
Jesus, —  his  whole  appearance  and  demeanor  so  changed, 
and  indicating  grief,  sadness,  and  weariness.  He  has 
scarcely  eaten  or  slept  for  many  days,  and  the  effects  of 
long  wayfaring  are  very  plain.  He  is  dusty,  disheveled, 
footsore,  and  blood  is  mixed  with  dust  on  his  sandals. 

Soon  the  gate  is  opened,  and  a  swarm  of  slaves  pour 
out.  Many  of  them  recognize  Jesus  and  salute  him  with 
signs  of  pleasure  and  gladness.  The  gate-keeper  i-s  also 
a  friend,  and  a  Jew;  with  him  Jesus  exchanges  a  few 
hurried  words  and  passes  on  inside. 

As  in  Persia  in  the  days  of  Esther  and  Mordecai,  so  in 


TIBERIAS  99 

Palestine  and  all  the  East  there  are  Jews  in  the  house- 
hold of  every  ruler  and  every  rich  man, —  often  concealing 
their  nationality  and  religion,  and  for  the  time  ceasing  to 
observe  openly  the  law  of  IMoses,  but  never  for  a  moment 
forgetful  of  the  promise  made  to  Abraham,  nor  of  the 
vengeance  no  less  sure.  In  the  service  of  Honorius  were 
such  Jews.  Margaloth,  the  ruler  of  his  household,  was 
such  a  one.  Jesus,  while  at  work  on  the  palace,  had  be- 
come acquainted  not  only  with  these  Jews  but  with  many 
others,  Gentiles  as  well. 

Jesus  knew  the  whole  plan  and  structure  of  Honorius' 
palace, — •  all  its  deep  underground  dungeons,  all  its  laby- 
rinth of  winding  ways  and  secret  rooms  and  passages. 
So  it  was  very  easy  for  him  to  find  Margaloth,  and  make 
known  his  errand.  As  Honorius  and  most  of  his  guests 
had  been  carried  away  to  bed  by  the  servants  in  a  state  of 
beastly  drunkenness  only  a  short  time  before,  there  seemed 
to  be  no  danger  of  interference  from  that  source,  and 
Jesus,  as  soon  as  he  had  washed  and  taken  some  light  re- 
freshment, was  brought  where  he  could  see  Mary  alone. 
Mary  had  been  told  only  that  "a  friend"  wished  to  see 
her,  but  her  heart  told  her  who  the  friend  was ;  and  at 
first  she  refused  to  see  Jesus.  Mary's  mother  also  op- 
posed the  meeting,  but  Margaloth  insisted;  and  aided,  per- 
haps, by  the  simple,  child-like  yearnings  of  her  own  heart, 
Mary  at  last  consented  and  Jesus  was  admitted  to  her 
presence  alone.  It  was  a  private  apartment,  made  and 
furnished  expressly  for  the  purpose,  and  assigned  to  Mary 
by  Honorius.  It  looked  out  upon  a  garden  and  foun- 
tains of  bewildering  beauty,  and  was  furnished  with  every 
device  of  luxury  that  money  could  buy  or  ingenuity  con- 
trive. 

Mary  was  dressed  in  simple  home-garb,  with  the  old 
coronet  of  coins,  as  Jesus  had  last  seen  her,  and  was  stand- 
ing in  subdued  light,  with  joined  hands  and  downcast 
eyes, —  the   attitude   of    simple   shame   and   grief.     Jesus' 


100  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

heart  almost  stopped  beating  as  he  looked  upon  her,  and 
he  paused  a  moment  shocked  and  appalled;  then  recover- 
ing himself,  he  moved  towards  her  again,  as  if  to  salute 
her,  as  a  Jewish  man  may  salute  a  woman  friend. 

Then  the  voice  of  Mary  cried  out  in  agonizing  tones: 
"  Don't  touch  me !  Unclean,  unclean !  "  It  was  a  terrible 
moment.  Jesus,  covering  his  face  with  his  hands,  sank 
down  upon  a  couch  and  groaned  aloud :  "  O  God  of  Is- 
rael, have  pity,  have  mercy ! "  And  great  sobs  wrung 
and  convulsed  the  young  man's  frame,  and  the  tears  fell 
streaming  through  his  hands.  After  a  time,  he  ceased  to 
weep,  but  he  sat  a  long  time  silent  and  motionless,  as  if 
forgetful  of  where  he  was, —  while  Mary  stood  as  if  turned 
into  stone. 

When  Jesus  at  last  raised  his  head  and  looked  up,  his 
face  was  calm  but  terrible  to  look  upon.  Mary  lifted  her 
eyes  timidly  and  involuntarily  raised  her  hands  and  uttered 
a  suppressed  cry  as  she  looked  upon  him.  But  Jesus 
did  not  notice,  and  with  a  stern,  set  face  began  to  speak 
again :  "  Whatever  has  happened,  or  can  happen,  Mary, 
know  this,  that  I  can  never  be  other  than  your  friend: 
not  the  friend  I  had  dreamed  and  hoped,  but  still  your  best 
friend;  and  as  it  appears  your  only  true  friend.  You 
are  not  so  much  to  blame,  as  others  who  should  have 
known  better.  Your  mother,  Margaloth  tells  me,  is  the 
one  who  has  betrayed  you;  she  dreams  of  your  being  the 
wife  of  Honorius  and  of  a  grand  estate  in  Antioch  or 
Rome.  In  your  heart  of  hearts,  I  know  you  cannot 
choose  such  a  life:  Better  to  be  a  servant  or  even  a  slave 
in  a  godly  household  than  to  live  in  sin  as  the  mistress 
of  the  world.  Fly  with  me,  now  and  at  once.  With 
a  boat  on  the  lake  I  can  before  another  dawn  put  you 
with  Jacobus  and  his  men  in  the  fastnesses  of  Perea;  and 
if  need  be,  later,  with  King  Aretas  in  the  desert  beyond 
Bashan,  for  at  heart  he  is  an  enemy  of  Antipas  and  all  that 
pertains  to  him.     Come,  make  haste  and  let  us  go." 


TIBERIAS  101 

Tears  were  streaming  down  Mary's  cheeks  and  falling 
unheeded  upon  her  hands.  After  a  time  she  moved  away 
to  a  window  that  looked  out  upon  the  lake  not  far  away, 
and  the  distant  hills,  Magdala,  her  childhood's  home,  with 
its  white-washed  walls  and  cottages  fringed  with  palm 
and  citron  groves,  shone  pure  and  beautiful  in  the  morn- 
ing sun;  and  farther  on  lifted  in  azure  blue  the  hills  of 
Cana,  where  with  Jesus  long  ago  she  sported  with  her 
Uncle  Clopas'  lambs  and  the  gazelle. 

"  Oh,  if  my  father  were  only  here,  he  would  tell  me  what 
to  do;  but  now  what  should  I  do?  What  should  I  do.? 
O  God!  What  shall  I  do.?  "  Jesus  made  no  answer,  and 
after  a  long  silence  Mary  turned  towards  him  and  said, 
"  No,  I  must  not  go  with  you.  I  can  see  now  plainly 
how  it  would  be.  It  would  be  only  a  sacrifice  on  your 
part,  and  all  for  me,  who  am  unworthy.  It  would  be 
only  to  drag  you  down :  it  couldn't  raise  me  up.  If  I 
could  only  die, —  without  sin, —  it  would  be  so  much  bet- 
ter. And  would  it  be  sin,  as  things  are.?  Would  not 
the  good  God  forgive.?  And  you  should  be  my  execu- 
tioner, and  what  more  fit !  These  Romans  boast  that 
they  had  a  Brutus  once  who  killed  his  only  son  for  a 
sin  far  less  than  mine.  Be  you  my  Brutus !  Here, 
take  this  dagger  and  strike  me  dead ! "  And  Mary, 
with  her  left  hand  baring  her  bosom,  with  the  other  thrust 
out  the  jeweled  hilt  of  a  dagger  towards  Jesus.  "  Take 
it !  Oh,  take  it.  Please,  please  do,"  she  cried  in  an 
agony  of  pleading.  "  Surely  it  is  best  so ;  there  is  no 
other  way." 

The  wild  agony  of  the  girl  and  the  desperate  nature  of 
the  situation  had  calmed  Jesus  completely,  and  fixing  his 
eyes  upon  Mary  he  said  in  solemn,  earnest  tones :  "  Thou 
shalt  not  kill." 

They  stood  looking  at  each  other,  and  for  the  first  and 
last  time  in  life  their  eyes  met  in  that  commingling  of 
souls   that   comes   only   to  rare   spirits,   and  to   them   but 


102  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

once.  Their  souls  leaped  the  gulf  that  separated  them; 
but  like  that  gulf  which  stretched  from  Dives  to  Abra- 
ham's bosom  for  their  mortal  parts  it  was  impassable. 
Long  they  stood  thus  gazing  into  each  other's  eyes,  till  at 
length  Mary  suddenly  raised  the  dagger  with  motion  and 
intent  to  plunge  it  into  her  breast.  Jesus  sprang  to  ar- 
rest her  hand  but  was  not  near  enough  to  prevent  a  wound. 
The  girl  struggled  desperately  to  finish  her  work,  but 
uttered  no  cry :  she  knew  what  that  would  mean  for  Jesus, 
and  with  set  teeth  and  closed  lips  submitted  at  last  to  the 
superior  strength  of  Jesus  and  allowed  herself  to  be  dis- 
armed without  a  word. 

When  Mary  had  ceased  to  struggle  and  sank  down, 
Jesus  again  spoke.  "  You  see,  of  course,  that  my  life  is 
in  peril  every  moment  I  remain  here  now,  but  I  shall  not  go 
till  you  have  promised  me  that  you  will  not  attempt  this 
again,  but  will  live  and  strive.  Our  life  is  a  gift  of  God, 
given  us  for  noble  uses,  and  we  insult  His  goodness  and 
His  majesty  when  we  thrust  this.  His  greatest  gift,  back 
upon  him  as  a  thing  despised.  No  matter  how  hard  and 
painful  the  task  that  is  assigned  us,  we  must  do  it.  Prom- 
ise me  that  you  will." 

There  was  a  step  at  the  door,  and  Margaloth  appeared 
with  a  troubled  countenance.  "  I  am  sorry,"  he  said, 
"  but  it  is  very  dangerous  for  you  to  stay  longer.  Come 
at  once."  Jesus  did  not  move, —  only  looked  steadfastly 
at  Mary,  who,  seizing  his  arm,  cried  out  vehemently,  "  Oh, 
yes,  do  go,  go !  go !  do  go !  " 

"  Not  till  you  promise,"  answered  Jesus,  calmly. 

"  Oh,  I  do  promise,  I  promise  anything,  if  you  only  will 
go."  It  was  the  supreme  moment.  Again  the  eyes  of 
Jesus  and  Mary  met  in  infinite,  vain  longing,  and  the 
movings  of  Nature  were  strong.  For  an  instant  Jesus 
hesitated,  and  the  shocked  Margaloth  almost  put  out  a 
hand;  but  the  wave  passed,  only  lifting  them  to  fields  and 


TIBERIAS  103 

visions  not  to  be  reached  again,  and  receding  left  a  wide 
and  dreary  shore  of  barren  sand.  There  was  no  word 
more  spoken;  but  Mary  saw,  and  lowered  her  eyes,  and 
Jesus,  turning  silently  away,  went  out  with  Margaloth. 


XI 


THE  ROBBERS 

"  In  its  rough  and  almost  inaccessible  rocks  are  hidden  spaces, 
from  which  a  thousand  men  could  assemble  for  a  foray  against  the 
merchants  of  Damascus." —  Strabo. 


It  is  winter  among  the  lava  beds  of  Trachonitis,  in  the 
ancient  kingdom  of  the  giants.  The  mighty  Og  ruled 
here, —  Og,  whose  bedstead  of  iron  was  thirteen  and  a 
half  feet  long.  It  is  a  wild  and  desolate  land;  but  in  this 
central  portion  where  we  now  find  ourselves,  it  seems  more 
like  a  plateau  than  a  mountain  region. 

There  is  no  vegetation  to  be  seen,  and  the  bare,  massive 
rock  of  black  basalt  is  seamed  and  splintered  into  a  thou- 
sand forms.  Lifted  thousands  of  feet  above  the  lake  of 
Galilee,  its  climate  is  far  more  rigorous ;  and  the  snow  that 
fell  last  night  is  but  just  beginning  to  melt  in  the  morn- 
ing light.  There  is  no  living  thing  in  sight  but  a  vulture 
circling  far  overhead,  and  a  gaunt  jackal  that  seems  to  be 
following  a  fresh,  broadly  marked  trail  which  comes  in 
from  the  east.  Doubtless  this  trail  leads  to  the  place  we 
are  seeking,  and  we  will  follow  it.  There  are  the  foot- 
prints of  sheep  and  donkeys  and  men,  and,  sad  to  say,  of 
children  too. 

We  see  here  and  there  the  print  of  small,  bare  feet  in 
the  snow,  and  some  larger  ones  with  blotches  of  blood 
that  look  like  women's.  Suddenly  the  trail  apparently 
ends,  cut  off  by  a  yawning  chasm  where  the  solid  rock  is 
split,  as  we  may  well  imagine,  to  the  earth's  center,  for  we 
can  see  no  bottom.  In  its  dark  depths  the  sun  never  shines, 
and  so  narrow,  a  boy  may  cast  a  stone  across  it.  Where 
the  trail  seems  to  end  we  find  at  last  what  appears  to  be  a 
narrow   path  leading  steeply  down  diagonally  along  the 

104. 


THE  ROBBERS  105 

face  of  the  cliff.  Its  entrance  is  blocked  with  rough,  and 
broken  rocks,  such  as  everywhere  here  abound,  and  ex- 
cept for  the  footprints  in  the  snow  no  mark  or  vestige  of 
any  living  thing  would  be  discovered  by  the  keenest  eye. 
This  glass-like  basalt  leaves  no  trail,  but  the  snow,  rare 
even  in  this  high  plateau,  is  a  tell-tale  intruder;  and  not 
only  have  we  been  able  to  trace  this  company  in  its  path, 
but  its  enemies  also,  if  they  are  up  and  doing  before  the 
clouds  break  and  an  hour's  sun  leaves  the  trail  like  the 
path  of  a  ship  in  the  sea,  may  now  find  them  out. 

What  is  that  moving  spot  on  the  snow,  far  away  towards 
Kenath?  It  cannot  be  a  caravan,  for  the  caravan  road  is 
farther  away  eastward, —  and  this  comes  swiftly  on  this 
way.  At  length,  as  we  watch,  the  sun  shines  out  for  a 
moment  and  we  catch  the  glint  of  armour  and  the  fluttering 
banner  of  Rome.  While  we  gaze  a  huge  hand  is  laid  upon 
our  shoulder  and  we  turn  to  meet  the  calm,  stern  eye  of 
Jacobus.  "  Yes,"  he  says,  "  the  snow  has  betrayed  us  and 
we  must  fight,  and  it  is  well:  we  are  ready.  Come,  let  us 
go."  And  springing  nimbly  over  the  rocks,  he  leads  the 
way  down  along  the  face  of  the  cliff  by  a  path  so  rough 
and  narrow  that  one  only  can  pass.  A  misstep,  and  neither 
the  vultures  nor  the  jackals  would  find  what  remains  of  us. 
Soon  we  are  at  the  mouth  of  a  cave,  and  turning  in  are 
at  once  in  the  midst  of  the  band  of  "  robbers."  How  far 
"  robbers  "  we  shall  know  presently. 

The  three  brothers  of  Jacobus  are  here,  and  Boaz  and 
Jehu  and  Simon  of  Clopas,  and  one  they  call  Barabbas, 
the  son  of  a  noted  Rabbi  of  Jerusalem,  and  many  others, 
fifty  or  more  strong  men  armed  and  in  armor,  and  —  No.'' 
Can  it  be.''  Yes!  Far  back,  where  some  captive  women 
and  children  are  huddled  in  abject,  sickening  misery,  a 
flaming  torch  lights  up  a  face  so  noble,  pure,  and  grand 
it  can  belong  to  but  one  —  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

It  is  he,  unarmed  and  dressed  in  the  same  simple  garb  he 
wore  at  Nazareth.     He  is  binding  up  wounds  and  speaking 


106  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

gentle  words  to  those  helpless  ones,  heathen  though  they 
are,  who  have  lost  their  all.  No  men  are  among  the  cap- 
tives. The  bodies  of  the  men  lie  yet  unburied  amid  smok- 
ing ruins.  Eliminating  Jesus,  the  picture  may  stand  as  a 
type  of  what  this  land  has  ever  been,  and  is.  It  was  the 
Sabeans  inhabiting  these  rocks  and  caves  who  fell  upon  the 
oxen  and  asses  of  Job  and  killed  his  servants  with  the  edge 
of  the  sword.  Abram  pursued  the  robber  kings  to  "  Ho- 
bah,  which  is  on  the  left  hand  of  Damascus."  Old  Og 
and  Sihon  robbed  and  murdered  the  peaceful  denizens  of 
the  plain  and  hid  their  plunder  in  this  very  cave. 

The  modern  traveler  finds  the  conditions  unchanged. 
The  peaceful  Fellaheen  of  Bashan  in  this  present  year  of 
our  Lord  goes  forth  armed  and  in  companies  to  plow,  for 
fear  of  the  robbers,  and  worships  at  the  shrine  in  the  grove 
on  the  hill-top,  as  did  his  fathers  in  the  time  of  Nimrod  and 
the  Accadians.  That  in  the  time  of  Jesus  the  robbers  were 
religious  fanatics,  who  murdered  and  pillaged  only  the  un- 
godly Gentile,  was  scarcely  a  variation.  The  robbers  of 
Bashan  are  to-day  religious  fanatics,  and  giant  Og  and 
Sihon  were  devout  worshippers  of  Baal  and  Ashtaroth. 

The  report  of  Jacobus  that  the  Roman  soldiers  are  com- 
ing is  received  in  silence  by  his  comrades,  and  not  one 
changes  countenance  or  shows  any  visible  sign  of  fear  or 
joy.  Some  of  those  who  have  been  out  all  night  are  eat- 
ing and  drinking,  and  some  have  wrapped  themselves  in 
blankets  and  lain  down  on  the  hard  rocks  to  sleep.  Only 
a  single  man  is  placed  on  guard  where  the  rugged  path  by 
which  we  entered  turns  in  to  the  cave.  The  rest  seem  to  be 
free  to  seek  such  recreation  or  employment  as  suits  their 
inclination.  Some  are  sharpening  their  swords  and  fur- 
bishing their  armour  and  arms,  and  one,  a  sturdy  black- 
smith, is  busy  with  hammer  and  forge,  mending  and  mak- 
ing arms  and  armour.  The  cave  is  lighted  with  flaming 
torches,  and  some  are  intently  reading  from  rolls  of  the 
Law.     But  hark !     What  sound  is  that,  like  the   roll  of 


THE  ROBBERS  107 

distant  thunder,  only  it  does  not  sink,  but  continues  to 
grow  and  swell  and  roar,  till  it  comes  to  a  pause,  directly 
overhead.  All  cease  from  their  employments  to  listen ; 
but  there  is  no  change,  and  work  and  reading  arc  soon  re- 
sumed. 

To  understand  what  is  to  follow  in  the  next  few  days, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  describe  more  fully  this  cave  of 
Jacobus  and  his  men,  with  its  contents  and  surroundings. 
There  are  many  caves  in  the  Holy  Land  to-day.  The 
cave  of  Adullam,  where  David  collected  four  hundred  men, 
is  still  pointed  out  to  the  curious  traveler,  and  many 
others.  Lot  is  spoken  of  as  dwelling  in  caves,  and  even  all 
Israel  in  Samuel's  time  hid  "  in  caves,  and  in  thickets,  and 
in  rocks,  and  in  high  places,  and  in  pits."  In  Herod's 
time  the  Zealots  of  Galilee  took  refuge  in  the  caves  of  Ar- 
bela,  and  were  hunted  down  and  nearly  exterminated  by 
means  of  huge  wooden  cages,  each  containing  a  consider- 
able number  of  soldiers  and  let  down  by  means  of  pulleys 
and  ropes  to  the  mouths  of  the  caves  from  overhead. 
The  knowledge  and  recollection  of  this  success  of  Herod 
operated  in  a  twofold  manner  in  this  present  instance:  it 
encouraged  the  Romans  to  try  the  same  means,  and  it  had 
already  warned  Jacobus  and  his  band  to  provide  beforehand 
the  means  of  defense. 

The  mouth  of  the  cave  being  about  sixty  feet  in  breadth 
at  the  opening,  it  was  calculated  that  probably  three  cribs 
or  cages  filled  with  soldiers  might  be  let  down  simultane- 
ously, and  to  be  prepared  for  such  an  event  Jacobus  had 
provided  three  large  tree-trunks  headed  with  iron  and  sus- 
pended by  means  of  ropes  and  pulleys  and  ways.  These 
three  huge  beams  could  be  operated  by  a  few  men.  Any 
number  of  cribs  or  cages  let  down  from  above  and  appear- 
ing in  the  mouth  of  the  cave  would  be  at  once  subject  to  at- 
tack by  these  huge  battering  rams,  while  the  greater  number 
of  the  defenders  would  be  free  to  use  their  bows  and  arrows, 
swords  and  spears.     The  cave  itself  was  made  up  of  var- 


108  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ious  large  chambers  and  passages  and  there  was  another 
secret  outlet  besides  the  one  we  have  described,  which 
after  many  narrow  winding  turns  came  out  upon  a  preci- 
pice even  more  steep  and  difficult  than  the  one  by  which 
we  entered.  This  last  was  used  only  to  send  out  spies,  and 
for  other  necessary  occasions,  and  even  its  existence  was  as 
far  as  possible  kept  secret. 

By  this  passage  Jacobus  now  sent  out  Asa,  a  young 
man,  to  spy  upon  the  Romans.  After  a  few  hours  he  re- 
turned with  the  intelligence  that  the  Romans  to  the  number 
of  about  two  hundred  men  had  begun  making  a  permanent 
camp  for  themselves  near  by,  and  a  messenger  had  gone  off 
toward  Kenath.  "  It  is  well,"  said  Jacobus.  "  We  shall 
no  doubt  have  to  fight,  so  let  every  man  be  prepared." 

It  was  a  full  week  after  this  before  the  Romans  were 
ready  for  their  attack,  and  during  all  that  time  the  noise 
of  horses'  hoofs,  of  pounding  and  hammering,  sounded 
dully  overhead,  and  Asa  brought  daily  news  of  what  was 
going  on.  In  the  cave  the  Jewish  ritual  of  daily  prayers 
and  observances  was  strictly  observed,  and  on  the  Sab- 
bath synagogue  services  were  performed,  in  which  Jesus, 
at  the  request  of  Jacobus,  took  the  leading  part.  On  the 
eve  of  the  second  Sabbath  of  the  siege  Asa  brought  word 
that  the  cribs  of  the  Romans  were  completed  and  that  there 
was  every  indication  that  an  attack  would  be  made  on  the 
following  day.  The  Romans,  knowing  the  extreme  reluc- 
tance of  the  Jews  to  engage  in  any,  even  the  most  neces- 
sary, worldly  occupation  on  the  Sabbath,  and  remember- 
ing many  occasions  when  great  numbers  of  them  had  suf- 
fered death  rather  than  defend  themselves  on  that  day,  had 
shrewdly  chosen  the  Sabbath  for  their  attack.  Indeed, 
Jacobus  and  his  band,  as  their  name  and  organization  im- 
plied, were  Zealots  for  the  strictest  observance  of  the  Law. 
They  had  separated  themselves  from  their  brethren,  for 
one  reason,  because  of  the  degeneracy  of  the  times  and  the 
slackness  of  the  people  in  Sabbath  and  other  observances. 


THE  ROBBERS  109 

Should  tliey  now  for  any  cause  prove  themselves  remiss? 
In  true  democratic  spirit  Jacobus  called  a  council  of  the 
whole  band  and  laid  the  matter  before  them,  with  Jesus  in 
their  midst.  For  a  long  time  they  sat  in  silence,  each  wait- 
ing for  the  other. 

At  length  Menahem,  the  brother  of  Jacobus,  and  older 
than  he,  spoke  and  said :  "  Brethren,  it  needs  only  that 
we  remember  our  principles  and  the  oath  that  binds  us 
togetiier,  to  show  us  the  right  path.  Who  are  we.''  Have 
we  not  named  ourselves  Zealots  for  the  Law,  and  set  our- 
selves up  as  a  fire  beacon  on  a  hill,  as  a  banner  in  battle, 
to  be  imitated  and  followed,  and  shall  we  now  upon  the 
first  trial  prove  recreant,  and  for  so  poor  a  cause  as  the 
saving  of  our  own  lives.'*  Shall  we  transgress  what  we  live 
only  to  maintain.''  Besides,  we  are  to  reniombcr  that  the 
God  of  Israel  never  forsakes  those  who  fully  trust  in  Him. 
Gideon,  at  God's  command,  fearlessly  attacked  an  innum- 
erable host  with  three  hundred  men  and  gained  the  victor^'. 
Abraham,  with  knife  in  hand,  stood  ready  to  plunge  it 
into  the  heart  of  his  onl}'  son.  Obedience  to  God  is  the 
foundation  rock  upon  which  we  profess  to  stand,  and  per- 
fect obedience  is  always  answered  by  favor,  by  victory. 
Let  us  cast  away  all  fear  of  men  and  ti*ust  only  in  God." 

Several  other  speakers  followed  in  the  same  vein  and, 
curiously  enough,  Boaz  and  Jehu,  who  were  as  often  found 
worshipping  at  the  heathen  shrines  as  at  Jerusalem,  in  rude, 
sententious  speech  made  known  their  desire  to  stand  strictly 
by  the  letter  of  the  law  and  trust  in  God  for  deliverance. 
There  seemed,  indeed,  to  be  but  one  opinion :  all  who  spoke 
were  in  favor  of  retiring  into  remote  chambers  of  the  cave, 
blockade  the  entrance,  and  defer  fighting  on  any  active  de- 
fense till  the  Sabbath  was  past. 

At  length,  when  nearly  every  one  had  spoken,  all  eyes 
were  turned  upon  Jacobus  and  Jesus,  who  stood  together. 
The  great  leader  could  no  longer  withliold  his  opinion  and 
spoke  as  follows:  "  It  rejoices  my  heart  indeed  to  find  such 


110  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

faith  and  zeal  in  you  all,  and  whatever  our  fate  may  be  as 
individuals,  such  faith  and  zeal  are  the  heralds  of  final  vic- 
tory. '  God  with  us  '  should  come  as  the  cry  of  the  deep- 
est and  strongest  thing  in  us,  and  when  it  is  so  God  will  he 
with  us."  A  murmur  of  approval  greeted  this  exordium 
of  Jacobus,  but  he  did  not  notice  and  with  solemn,  set  face 
proceeded :  "  And  yet  we  must  not  be  blind  to  what  God 
in  all  his  ways  is  continually  trj^ing  to  teach  us ;  God's  pur- 
poses do  not  change,  but  his  methods  do.  The  Patriarchs 
talked  with  God.  Moses  received  the  Law  face  to  face 
with  the  Almighty.  The  Fathers  lived  to  great  age,  five, 
seven  and  nine  hundred  years.  There  were  giants  in  those 
days,  and  the  sons  of  God  cohabited  with  the  daughters  of 
men.  The  Patriarchs  lived  as  the  very  children  of  God, 
little  children,  almost  without  labor  and  without  care.  Like 
the  ravens  and  the  birds  of  the  air  their  Heavenly  Father 
fed  them.  Like  the  lilies  of  the  field  he  clothed  them.  He 
made  coats  of  skins  for  our  first  parents  in  Eden.  But 
these  things  are  no  longer  so.  God's  method  has  changed : 
a  different  treatment  is  required  for  the  full  grown  man 
from  that  needed  for  the  little  child.  The  man  must  think 
and  act  for  himself.  God's  People  are  no  longer  little  chil- 
dren: they  are  grown  men,  and  must  assume  the  duties 
and  responsibilities  of  men.  We  must  observe  the  Sab- 
bath and  keep  the  ordinances,  not  blindly  as  machines,  but 
intelligently  as  men.  We  will  keep  the  Sabbath  as  far  as 
in  us  lies,  but  if  wicked,  heathen  men  force  labor  upon  us, 
the  sin  be  upon  them  and  its  penalty  also.  Besides,  if  we 
withdraw  into  the  farthest  recesses  of  our  stronghold,  and 
fortify,  as  we  may,  before  the  Sabbath  is  over,  the  enemy 
will  be  upon  us  and  we  must  either  do  or  die,  and  after 
surrendering  all  our  advantages  be  forced  to  fight  on  even 
grounds  an  enemy  of  four  times  our  number.  It  is  my 
belief  that  we  should  fight  now  and  here,  calling  on  God 
to  witness  our  innocency." 

Jacobus  paused  and  looked  around;  in  the  darkness  of 


THE  ROBBERS  111 

the  cave  he  could  sec  but  little,  but  felt  that  the  stubborn 
old  Jewish  spirit,  more  fanatical  and  superstitious  than 
reasonable  and  devout,  had  not  been  overcome.  By  the  red 
glare  of  the  torches  lighting  up  a  dark,  grim  face  here 
and  there  among  the  group,  he  read  disapproval,  strong 
and,  he  feared,  unalterable.  Turning  to  Jesus,  he  spoke  a 
few  words  to  him  in  a  low  tone,  Jesus  at  first  seemed  to 
hesitate,  but  looking  up  and  meeting  the  large,  open  glance 
of  Jacobus,  the  two  leaders  gazed  a  moment  into  each 
other's  eyes  — •  and  understood.      Then  Jesus  spoke. 

"  Ma}^  the  peace  and  the  power  of  God  be  and  abide 
with  us  at  this  time,  my  brothers."  These  words,  slowly 
uttered  by  Jesus,  were  commonplace  words  and  were  often 
used  by  Rabbis ;  but  the  tone,  the  emphasis,  the  voice,  the 
magnetic  presence  were  what  no  words,  no  pen  can  con- 
vey. They  thrilled  every  heart  like  a  voice  from  Heaven. 
"  It  is  the  Bath  Quol,"  murmured  Boaz.  Every  eye  was 
at  once  fixed  upon  the  speaker,  who  went  on :  "I  have 
thought  it  unbecoming  for  me,  a  mere  carpenter,  and  so 
young  besides,  to  offer  advice  to  experienced  men  like  you ; 
and  I  cannot  presume  to  do  so  of  myself.  I  am  a  mere 
youth.  I  never  wore  armor,  or  learned  to  use  a  sword  or  a 
spear,  but  God,  who  can  make  use  of  whatsoever  he  has 
made  for  his  own  purposes,  may  speak  to  us  through  any 
means  He  may  choose, —  through  winds,  or  fire,  or  even 
unclean  beasts :  for  did  not  even  the  ass  speak  out  and 
warn  Balaam  of  the  swordcd  Angel  in  the  way.  And  so  if 
what  I  say  is  found  right  and  true,  I  pray  you  let  it 
be  as  if  God  spoke  through  me  to  make  known  his  will. 
We  have  here  no  Urim  and  Thummim,  no  Priest  or  Le- 
vite,  but  God  may  be  in  our  midst  as  well,  for  we  are 
all  His  children.  As  our  brother  Jacobus  has  said, 
*  God's  purposes  do  not  change,  but  his  methods  may  and 
do.'  We  no  longer  have  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  but  we 
still  have  God  as  our  Father.  Moses,  because  of  ignorance 
and  hardness  of  hearts,  made  many  laws  that  no  one  now 


112  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

regards  as  binding.  The  fourth  commandment,  like  all 
the  other  commandments  given  at  Sinai  and  graven  on  the 
tablets  of  stone  by  God  Himself,  will  never  be  put  aside: 
they  all  must  stand  forever.  But  the  interpretation  of 
them,  the  interpretation  put  upon  them  by  men  like  our- 
selves, may  change.  The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and 
not  man  for  the  Sabbath.  This  it  seems  to  me  was  God's 
design. 

"  Rest,  worship,  social  pleasures,  peace,  are  the  rule  for 
God's  Holy  Day:  these  are  good  for  man,  they  save  and 
adorn  life,  they  bless.  The  Sabbath  was  given  us  for  that. 
Shall  we  dare  degrade  it  to  a  superstition,  and  because  it  is 
Sabbath  offer  our  throats  to  heathen  swords  and  the  cause 
of  God  to  destruction.''  Surely  God  would  not  have  it  so. 
God  would  have  us  do  good  on  the  Sabbath  Day  rather 
than  permit  evil;  but  what  is  good  in  a  cause  like  this.'' 
God  has  not  yet  shown  me.  '  Thou  shalt  not  kill '  is  as 
clear  a  command  as  '  Remember  the  Sabbath  Day  to  keep  it 
holy  ' ;  and  yet,  as  all  our  Rabbis  teach,  the  Messiah  him- 
self, whose  coming  is  surely  at  hand,  will  be  a  warrior  who 
will  cut  down  and  destroy  till  the  earth  shall  be  covered 
with  the  slain."  Jesus  ceased  speaking  and  there  was  a 
long  silence. 

Menahem  was  the  first  to  speak.  "  The  young  Rabbi 
is  right,"  he  said.  "  God  indeed  has  spoken  through  him, 
for  his  words  are  words  of  truth  and  soberness.  If  to  do 
good  is  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  we  may  keep  the  Sabbath  by 
destro3nng  God's  enemies." 

The  meeting  was  about  to  break  up,  when  Jesus  again 
arrested  attention.  "  You  will  forgive  me,"  he  said,  "  if 
I  appear  officious,  but  our  God  sometimes  sees  fit  to  save 
His  People,  even  by  weak  women,  as  by  Deborah  and 
Judith  and  Esther.  Now  it  appears  that  this  place  over- 
head where  the  Romans  are  is  cut  off  by  impassable 
chasms  on  all  sides  but  one,  and  that,  a  very  narrow  way 
easily  obstructed    and  defended.     It  appears  also  that  if 


THE  ROBBERS  113 

the  Romans  are  to  attack  us  in  the  way  you  describe  a  few 
men,  and  only  a  few,  will  be  left  above  to  manage  the  ma- 
chinery for  lowering  the  cribs,  while  the  greater  part,  and 
the  best  fighting  men,  will  come  down  in  the  cribs.  If 
these  cribs  are  lowered  swiftly  and  all  together,  as  no  doubt 
is  planned,  and  they  come  to  a  standstill  just  below  the 
mouth  of  the  cave,  so  that  all  their  men  can  spring  out  to- 
gether, we  shall  certainly  be  outnumbered. 

"  Our  rams  may  not  be  able  to  strike  quickly  enough  or 
times  enough  to  accomplish  much  unless  by  some  means  we 
can  bring  the  cribs  to  a  pause  in  front  of  our  cave,  or  in 
some  way  break  up  their  arrangement  so  we  Avill  not  have 
to  meet  all  their  force  at  once.  Now  God  has  sent  me  this 
thought,  that  if  a  few  of  our  men  were  to  go  up  in  the 
night  by  the  secret  passage  and  be  ready  in  the  morning 
upon  a  given  signal  to  attack  the  operators  of  the  ma- 
chinery by  which  the  cribs  are  lowered,  it  would  be  likely 
to  throw  them  into  confusion,  and  might  very  likely  bring 
the  cribs  against  us,  one  at  a  time  instead  of  all  together. 
Then  our  men,  so  sent  above,  could  in  a  proper  case  cut  off 
the  retreat  of  the  Romans  and,  it  may  be,  make  your  vic- 
tory complete.  I  merely  offer  this  as  a  suggestion.  It 
is  for  you  mIio  are  older  and  more  experienced  to  act  upon 
it  or  not,  as  seems  to  you  best." 

There  was  silence  again  and  at  last  Jacobus  spoke, 
"  Our  young  Rabbi  is  very  wise,"  he  said,  "  and  his  coun- 
sel shall  stand."  And  Jacobus  at  once  chose  a  number  of 
men  and  instructed  them  how  to  act  upon  the  advice  given 
by  Jesus. 

With  the  first  faint  gleam  of  morning  light  struggling 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave  Jacobus  and  his  band  were 
up  and  doing.  Jesus,  who  had  spent  much  of  the  night  in 
praj'er,  was  looked  to  to  take  the  lead  in  the  priestly  offices 
of  Sabbath  morning  service,  as  naturally  as  if  he  had  been 
ordained  thereto  by  the  laying  on  of  hands.     He  did  not 


114  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

need  to  read  the  Scripture  lesson  but  repeated  appropriate 
passages  from  memory,  and  after  the  Shema  and  the  Bene- 
dictions prayed  aloud  in  words  of  his  own  choosing  for 
the  divine  guidance  and  protection. 

While  he  was  praying,  the  confused  sounds  of  tramp- 
ling and  pounding  overhead  had  grown  louder  and  louder, 
and  now  with  the  warning  call  of  the  sentry  at  the  cave's 
mouth  came  the  sound  of  rattling  chains  and  the  bang  and 
jar  of  heavy  objects  against  the  wall  of  the  chasm  over- 
head. But  not  a  man  moved  or  turned  his  head ;  and  Jesus, 
with  serene,  uplifted  face,  continued  his  prayer  without 
haste  or  cutting  short.  With  his  last  words  the  three 
great  cribs  began  to  darken  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and 
with  the  last  word  of  the  pra3'er  every  man  sprang  to  his 
feet. 

The  battle  which  followed  we  will  not  attempt  to  de- 
scribe in  all  its  horrible  details.  The  fact,  well  under- 
stood in  all  these  encounters  of  the  Jews  with  the  Romans, 
that  no  quarter  was  to  be  asked  or  expected  gave  to  them 
a  character  of  savage  ferocit}'^  that  jungle-tigers  could  not 
excel.  It  was  "  Your  life  or  mine  "  and  no  mercy.  Had 
all  worked  as  planned  nothing  could  have  saved  the  little 
band  of  Jacobus  from  utter  destruction ;  but  now  the 
wisdom  of  the  advice  given  by  Jesus  became  conspicuous. 
By  a  blast  on  a  ram's-horn  Jacobus  now  gave  the  signal  to 
the  men  that  had  been  sent  above,  who,  with  an  answering 
shout,  began  at  once  an  attack  on  the  men  who  operated  the 
machinery  for  letting  down  the  cribs.  The  result  was  that 
instead  of  moving  side  by  side  and  arriving  simultaneously 
at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  two  of  the  cribs  were  arrested 
in  their  descent  and  left  dangling  helpless  in  air  above, 
while  the  one  crib  that  was  let  down  was  exposed  to  the 
combined  attacks  of  all  the  forces  in  the  cave,  and  was 
soon  beaten  into  splinters,  and  its  crew  destroyed.  The 
second  crib  shared  a  similar  fate  when  later  it  was  let 
down ;  and  finally  there  remained  but  the  one  crib, —  that 


THE  ROBBERS  115 

containing  the  captain  of  the  band.  When  at  last  this 
was  let  down  it  became  at  once  apparent  that  its  chances 
of  success  were  even  less  than  had  been  the  others.  The 
defenders  of  the  cave  had  gained  skill  by  practice;  their 
courage  had  been  increased  by  success.  The  Roman  cap- 
tain saw  at  once  the  hopelessness  of  his  undertaking  and 
signaled  to  be  drawn  up.  But  this  expedient  could  not 
now  avail. 

One  of  the  rams,  instead  of  being  drawn  back  for  further 
blows,  was  pushed  out  and  held  firmly  above  the  crib, 
thereby  stopping  its  ascent  farther  than  the  top  of  the 
cave's  mouth.  In  this  position,  exposed  helplessly  to  the 
blows  of  the  two  other  rams,  it  was  beaten  into  splinters. 
At  last  only  one  man  remained,  clinging  to  the  broken 
wreck.  It  was  the  Captain.  It  could  be  seen  that  he  was 
helpless  from  wounds  and  broken  limbs ;  but  with  true  Ro- 
man fortitude  he  disdained  to  ask  for  mercy  and  with  a  look 
of  calm  defiance  awaited  his  fate.  A  great  beam  was 
drawn  back  for  the  final  blow,  when  Jesus  appeared  in  the 
mouth  of  the  cave  and  interposed. 

"  This  is  murder,"  he  said,  raising  a  warning  hand. 
"  Your  object  is  accomplished,  and  this  man's  life  may  be 
precious  in  God's  sight." 

Jesus  spoke  calmly  and  kindl}^,  but  with  a  certain  air 
of  authority ;  and  though  there  was  some  grumbling  and 
muttering  about  "  dead  men  telling  no  tales,"  he  was 
obej^ed,  and  a  ladder  placed  for  the  Roman  to  descend  to 
the  cave.  Jesus  took  hold  of  him  to  steady  him  from  fall- 
ing and  led  him  away.  At  the  same  time  Jacobus  and  his 
men,  storming  up  the  narrow  path  before  described,  went 
to  the  assistance  of  their  comrades  overhead.  A  few  min- 
utes later  the  bodies  of  slain  men  and  horses  began  raining 
past  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  Jesus,  who  was  left  alone 
with  the  captives,  shuddered  and  turned  away. 


XII 


VARUS 

"Of  such  stuff  were  the  Galilean  Zealots  made;  and  we  have  to 
take  this  intense.  Nationalist  tendency  into  account  in  the  history 
of  Jesus." —  Edersheim. 


The  days  which  followed  the  slaughter  of  the  Romans 
were  days  of  extreme  labor  and  anxiety  for  Jacobus  and 
liis  band.  They  knew  full  well  that  such  a  terrible  blow 
against  the  power  and  majesty  of  Rome  would  not  be 
passed  over  or  forgotten  by  this  haughty  mistress  of  the 
world. 

Jewish  friends,  acting  as  spies  in  Kenath  and  Bostra, 
had  promptly  informed  them  that  preparations  were  being 
made  on  a  large  scale  to  besiege  their  stronghold  with  a 
considerable  army,  and  they  knew  that  they  would  be 
starved  out  if  not  overcome  in  battle.  The  case  admitted 
of  no  debate,  and  preparations  were  made  at  once  to  break 
up  their  organization  for  the  time  being,  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  reassembling  at  some  future  time  and  place.  Al- 
ready the  captive  women  and  children  have  been  driven 
away  and  sold  to  Aretas,  to  be  by  him  carried  away  to 
Egypt,  the  great  slave  mart  of  the  world,  and  sold  into 
hopeless  bondage.  All  the  stores  and  provisions  have  been 
removed  to  dry  cisterns,  holes  in  the  rocks,  and  smaller 
caves  known  only  to  these  outlaws,  and  to-morrow  the  band 
of  Jacobus  will  be  scattered  to  the  four  winds, —  some  with 
Aretas  and  his  wild  Ishmaelites  on  the  desert  sands,  some 
in  the  inaccessible,  fever-infested  morasses  of  Merom  and 
the  ice-bound  peaks  of  Lebanon,  and  some  in  disguise, 
hunted  like  wild  beasts,  but  ever  as  implacable  apostles  of 
an  avenging  Nemesis,  to  foment  bitterness,  hatred,  and  war 
in  the  heart  of  fair  Galilee. 

116 


VARUS  117 

And  so  It  is  night  again  in  old  Og's  cave, —  night,  but 
almost  morning,  and  the  hive  will  soon  be  astir.  There 
is  a  smouldering  fire,  and  two  great  torches,  burnt  almost 
to  ashes  but  giving  out  a  fitful  flickering  light,  hang 
awry  by  the  wall.  Standing  near  the  fire  are  two  figures 
whom,  on  drawing  near,  we  recognize  as  Jesus  and  Ja- 
cobus. They  are  alone,  and  yet  not  alone,  for  as  Jacobus 
stirs  the  embers  with  his  mailed  foot  and  we  peer  into  the 
darkness  beyond,  we  can  see  the  prostrate  forms  of  men 
asleep  on  the  rock  floor,  with  their  arms  by  their  sides. 

Jesus  is  speaking.  "  Yes,  I  had  thought  to  cast  in  my 
lot  with  you,  and  to  devote  my  life  as  you  do  yours  to  the 
extermination  of  the  Heathen.  Then  I  saw  your  lawless 
lives  of  plunder  and  devastation.  I  saw  men  and  boys 
murdered,  whose  only  sin  was  that  they  were  named  Ro- 
mans or  belonged  to  Rome,  and  women  and  innocent  chil- 
dren driven  away,  weeping,  into  slavery.  I  saw  this  last 
butchery  of  a  whole  Roman  cohort  with  a  horror  that  I 
cannot  overcome  or  suppress.  It  was  forced  upon  me  to 
see  that  many  of  those  soldiers,  young  men,  had  noble, 
gentle  faces,  no  doubt  had  mothers,  sisters,  and  sweet- 
hearts, and  may  be  wives  and  children,  whom  they  loved  and 
were  loved  by;  and  I  cannot  but  think  that  they,  like  our 
selves,  were  only  victims  of  a  powerful  and  remorseless 
system  of  wrong  that  they  were  powerless  to  resist  or  to 
amend.  They  had  no  ill  will  towards  you  or  me  or  towards 
our  nation ;  they  were  only  cogs  in  a  great  wheel.  They 
must  obey  their  masters  or  die,  and  those  masters  must  obey 
other  and  higher  masters,  and  so  on  up  till  we  come  to  the 
throne  of  Caesar  himself,  and  he,  perhaps,  is  only  a  wheel 
in  the  great  Machine  that  moves  and  grinds  the  nations 
to  powder,  subject  only  to  the  will  of  God." 

Jesus  paused  and  Jacobus  after  a  time  made  answer: 
"  Your  words  are  true,  O  my  brother ;  they  pierce  deep, 
the}'  cannot  be  denied ;  and  yet  —  and  yet  —  remains  the 
record  and  the  lesson :  Moses  and  Joshua  were  sent  of  God, 


118  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

not  only  to  dispossess  a  whole  people  of  their  homes  and 
country,  but  even  to  exterminate  them  from  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  it  has  always  appeared  to  me  that  those  old 
Canaanites  were  a  better  people  than  these  Romans. 
They  are  to-day,  what  there  is  left  of  them,  and  yet  look 
at  the  record  and  learn  the  lesson.  Moses  was  commanded 
to  dispossess  and  exterminate,  and  Joshua  was  commis- 
sioned to  carry  out  God's  command.  In  so  far  as  he  did  so 
and  killed  all  men,  women,  and  children  it  was  well,  and 
God's  blessing  followed.  Wherein  Joshua  failed,  wherein 
he  was  pitiful  and  spared  it  went  ill,  and  judgment  fol- 
lowed. Even  vengeance  for  long  past  wrongs  was  not  to 
be  forgotten,  as  in  the  case  of  Amalek.  '  Thou  shalt  not 
forget  it,'  saith  the  Lord,  and  Samuel,  whom  God  called, 
hewed  Agag  in  pieces  before  the  eyes  of  the  horrified  Saul, 
—  Samuel,  the  mild,  loving,  tender  hearted  man  of  God, 
who  never  offered  up  a  lamb  on  the  altar  without  a  tear, 
and  Saul,  the  lion  hearted  warrior  who  could  fall  on  his 
own  spear  rather  than  live  in  servitude.  And  yet  the 
heart  of  Saul  was  pitiful,  and  he  spared  whom  God  said 
kill;  and  for  that,  for  pitying  and  sparing  when  women 
and  children  cried  and  lifted  up  helpless  hands,  God 
wrested  the  Kingdom  from  him,  and  gave  it  to  one  who  had 
a  heart  to  destroy  the  heathen  prisoners  taken  in  battle 
*  even  with  saws  and  harrows  of  iron  and  with  axes.'  O 
my  brother,  I  had  hoped  that  you  might  be  our  Samuel, 
even  if  I  were  to  be  a  Saul,  for  my  heart,  even  as  yours,  is 
pitiful.  I  would  love  to  spare;  but  we  must  learn  the  les- 
son of  all  our  past  and  steel  our  hearts  like  flint,  for 
'  vengeance  is  mine  '  saith  the  Lord,  '  and  I  will  repay.'  " 
While  Jacobus  was  speaking  several  of  the  sleepers 
awoke  and  stole  to  the  fire,  one  at  a  time,  and  sat  down  in 
silence.  Jesus  and  Jacobus,  who  had  been  up  all  night, 
alone  remained  standing.  They  felt  no  weariness.  When 
at  length  Jesus  began  to  make  reply,  five  or  six  of  the 
band   had   gathered   round,   for   it   was   nearly   daybreak. 


VARUS  119 

Jacobus'  three  brothers  were  there,  and  Simon  of  Clopas, 
and  Boaz,  who  flung  some  fresh  fuel  on  the  fire,  for  the  air 
was  damp  and  chill,  and  the  dancing  flames  lighted  up  the 
old  cave  and  shone  in  the  faces  of  the  group  about  the  fire, 
making  a  picture  to  be  seen  but  once  and  never  forgotten, 
—  the  bearded,  dark,  stern,  and  care-worn  faces  of  Ja- 
cobus and  his  men  and  the  clear,  serene,  beautiful  face  of 
Jesus. 

Neither  Jesus  nor  Jacobus  heeded  the  coming  of  the 
men ;  they  seemed  not  to  know  it,  and  Jesus  answered  as  if 
he  were  alone  with  Jacobus.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  all  these 
things  I  had  thought  of,  and  when  I  left  Tiberias  I 
thought  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  cast  in  my  lot  with  you 
and  do  all  I  could  to  help  on  the  cause.  I  was  even  fierce 
to  fight:  I  thought  I  wanted  to  shed  blood.  I  thought 
that  you  and  3'our  band  were  the  only  ones  in  Israel  who 
were  doing  God's  work,  you  only  were  worthy  to  be  called 
God's  Chosen.  And  I  felt  ashamed  and  guilty  that  I  had 
so  long  hesitated  and  refused  to  join  you;  but  then  other 
thoughts  came,  and  self  questioning.  Why  did  I  wish  to 
fight  the  Romans,  and  to  destroy  them?  Was  it  because 
they  were  offensive  to  God  or  only  to  my  poor  puny  self! 
Whom  and  what  would  I  vindicate  by  fighting!  Eternal 
Truth  or  only  self!  Did  I  hate  the  Romans  because  of 
their  sins  against  humanity  or  because  of  their  sins  against 
me  and  mine!  These  are  grave  questions  for  us  all.  I 
have  not  answered  them  yet  to  myself,  I  am  not  entirely 
clear.  When  the  Messiah  comes.  He  alone  will  have  no 
grudges !  In  His  own  person  He  will  have  suffered  noth- 
ing. He  will  be  as  the  right-hand  of  God.  He  will  be 
appointed  of  God  to  execute  judgment  upon  the  wicked. 
But  who  hath  appointed  me  to  execute  judgment!  Who 
hath  appointed  you,  or  any  man !  We  should  all  con- 
sider these  things  before  we  shed  blood,  before  we  take 
away  the  life  of  a  brother  man. 

"  Again,  as  the  lessons  taught  by  Moses  and  the  Proph- 


120  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ets,  I  have  pondered  upon  this  all  my  life;  and  it  seems  to 
me  now  that  we  have  mistaken  the  true  meaning.  Run- 
ning through  all  the  sacred  writings  as  the  central  thought 
the  end  and  aim  is  Universal  Peace  and  Brotherly  Love. 
'  Rejoice  not  when  thy  enemy  falleth,  and  let  not  thine 
heart  be  glad  when  he  stumbleth,  lest  the  Lord  see  it 
and  it  displease  Him '  saith  the  Proverbs ;  and  again  it  is 
foretold  that  the  day  will  surely  come  when  '  nations  shall 
beat  their  swords  into  plowshares  and  their  spears  into 
pruning  hooks,  and  learn  war  no  more ;  when  the  wolf  shall 
dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the 
kid,  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling  to- 
gether, and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them.'  How  beautiful 
it  is  to  think  of  and,  as  I  said,  I  have  pondered  these  things 
all  my  life,  and  the  feeling  more  and  more  takes  hold  upon 
me  that  to  do  good  and  not  evil,  to  save  life  and  not  de- 
stroy it,  to  love  and  not  hate,  is  the  law  of  life. 

"  You,  here,  just  among  your  own  selves  obey  this  law. 
You  take  pleasure  in  serving  one  another:  3'ou  would  will- 
ingly die  for  one  another.  All  is  said  when  we  say,  you 
worship  God  and  love  one  another.  Think  what  it  would 
be  if  all  Israel  could  be  that  way:  I  had  almost  said  all 
men,  and  really  why  not  all  men ;  for  we  are  all  God's  chil- 
dren and,  I  have  learned,  all  very  much  alike.  And  about 
angry  fighting  of  all  sorts,  I  want  to  tell  you  how  that 
has  come  to  appear  to  me.  When  I  was  a  stripling  boy 
I  was  once  shamefully  abused  by  a  great,  rough,  Ca- 
naanitish  man  in  Nazareth.  I  was  made  extremely  angry, 
and  but  for  some  of  the  bystanders  dragging  me  away 
I  should  have  flown  at  the  man,  weak  and  small  as  I  was, 
and  no  doubt  have  been  killed.  But,  as  it  was,  for  days 
and  days  after  I  had  no  peace  or  rest  and  my  nights  were 
passed  in  agony.  If  I  slept  at  all  it  was  to  dream  of 
fighting  that  man,  of  flying  through  the  air  with  wings 
like  an  archangel  and  striking  him  down  with  resistless 
force.     I  could  not  eat,  and  grew  thin  and  weak.     I  was 


VARUS  121 

like  one  possessed  of  a  devil,  and  no  doubt  I  was.  But 
still,  though  I  saw  the  man  who  had  abused  me  daily  in  the 
market  place,  I  did  not  attack  him ;  and  why  ? 

"  I  asked  myself  this  question,  and  there  could  be  but 
one  answer:  Because  I  was  afraid!  I  did  not  attempt 
this  deed  which  with  my  whole  soul  I  so  longed  to  do,  be- 
cause of  fear,  cowardly  fear.  When  I  thought  of  it  this 
way  it  drove  me  more  nearly  mad  than  all  the  rest.  The 
thought  that  I  was  prevented  from  doing  what  I  looked 
upon  as  a  just  and  righteous  action  by  the  fear  of  a  man 
seemed  to  me  the  lowest  depths  of  humiliation.  And  is  it 
not  so.''  This  boyish  experience  of  mine  has  been  in  my 
thoughts  so  much  and  has  grown  in  me  until  it  seems  to  me 
that  a  man  to  be  wholly  clear  and  upright  must  fear  noth- 
ing at  all  but  God.  Perhaps  this  is  the  last  perfection  of 
human  virtue,  but  should  it  not  be  the  aim.''  And  to  at- 
tain to  this  we  must  surely  give  up  fighting  altogether. 
Because  if  our  method  is  to  fight  for  what  we  want  there 
may  always  be  something  in  the  way  of  our  getting  it  far 
more  powerful  than  we  are,  which  we  must  necessarily  fear. 
We  must  refuse  to  fight  from  principle  because  of  God, 
and  not  at  all  because  of  man.  And  when  we  do  this  we 
shall  not  suffer  the  humiliation  of  fear.  We  will  as 
quickly  refuse  to  fight  our  equal  or  our  inferior,  over  whom 
we  would  be  sure  to  prevail,  as  to  fight  one  greatly  our 
superior,  with  whom  we  would  have  no  chance  and  whom 
we  would  fear.  If  we  are  to  fight  and  would  be  altogether 
brave  and  heroic,  like  Samson  and  Shamgar  and  Gideon, 
we  must,  like  them,  take  no  account  of  the  size  or  strength 
of  our  encmv,  but  simply  and  alone  fight  a  world  in  arms 
as  readily  as  we  would  a  dwarf  or  a  weakling.  You,  here, 
have  almost  attained  to  this,  but  not  quite.  You  scatter 
and  disperse  to-day  because  of  fear.  There  are  very  few 
sons  of  Abraham  anywhere  to-day  whose  hearts  are  not  as 
yours,  eager  and  waiting  to  see  the  Roman  power  de- 
stroyed ;  but  they  refuse  to  fight  because  they  fear.     The 


122  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

truth  seems  to  be  in  this,  as  in  other  things,  that  God's 
method  has  changed.  His  objects,  once  gained  by  force, 
required  but  a  single  man  with  an  ass's  jaw  bone  or  an  ox 
goad  to  bring  them  about,  while  now  all  Israel  in  arms 
might  be  vain." 

A  loud  call  from  the  sentinel  at  the  entrance  now  warned 
them  that  the  light  of  day  was  beginning  to  appear,  and 
the  whole  band  now  gathered  about  Jesus,  united  with  him 
in  repeating  the  Shema,  "  Hear  0  Israel !  The  Lord  our 
God  is  one  Lord  .  .  ."  and  then,  after  singing  a 
Psalm,  prepared  to  go.  There  were  many  tender  leave- 
takings,  and,  as  in  the  beginning,  those  ancient  forms  of 
words  with  which  Abraham  and  Lot  went  out  from  the 
old  home  in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  again  had  use  and  mean- 
ing,—  as  "  God  be  gracious  to  thee,"  "  God  give  thee 
peace,"  "  May  the  Angel  of  God  spread  his  wings  over 
thee  and  keep  thee."  They  were  not  now  vain  words,  but 
spoken  with  tear-dimmed  eyes  and  trembling  voices.  Many 
fell  upon  one  another's  breasts  and  wept  aloud. 

And  so,  as  was  fit,  Jesus  and  the  Roman  officer  whom 
he  had  saved  were  left  alone  in  the  cave.  The  Roman, 
with  broken  arm  and  crushed  foot,  could  walk  only  with 
great  difficulty,  and  Jesus  helped  him  climb  the  steep  and 
rugged  path  to  the  plateau  and  then  on  some  distance  to- 
wards the  nearest  city,  Kenath,  where  a  Roman  garrison 
would  take  him  in.  When  the  walking  became  more  easy, 
the  Roman  refused  to  go  farther  and  sat  down  on  a 
rock. 

"  I  cannot  permit  you  to  endanger  your  life  further  on 
my  account,"  he  said.  "  We  are  likely  to  fall  in  with 
Roman  soldiers  now  at  any  time,  and  I  might  not  be  able  to 
save  your  life  if  you  should  be  taken;  and,  besides,  I  can 
get  along  now.  There  are  peasants  in  the  fields  not  far 
away  and  they  will  help  me.  But  before  we  part  I  feel 
bound  by  the  honor  of  a  Roman  soldier  to  tell  you  what 
you  little  suspect,  and  that  when  known  may  change  your 


VARUS  123 

feeling  towards  me  so  far  that  instead  of  wishing  to  save 
my  life  you  may  wish  to  take  it.  However,  I  owe  you  my 
life.  You  have  saved  me  from  death  and  I  wish  not  to 
part  till  I  have  at  least  offered  to  pay  my  debt  in  the  only 
way  I  can.  I  must  tell  you  who  it  is  whose  life  you  have 
saved,  and  then  you  can  pay  me  in  my  own  coin  if  you  see 
fit  to  do  so.  You  will  of  course  remember,  when  a  boy 
tending  sheep  in  the  mountains  in  Galilee,  being  knocked 
senseless  and  left  for  dead  by  a  young  Roman  captain." 
The  eyes  of  Jesus  during  this  recital  were  fixed  upon  the 
Roman  in  sad,  calm  scrutiny  but  his  countenance  did  not 
change ;  he  only  nodded  in  assent,  and  the  Roman  went  on : 
"  Well,  I  was  that  Roman  captain,  and  my  name  is  Varus, 
and  now  you  may  have  your  revenge." 

The  man  raised  his  eyes  to  meet  the  eyes  of  Jesus,  still 
fixed  upon  him  with  the  same  sad,  wistful  expression  that 
was  habitual  to  him,  and  was  amazed.  "  Perhaps  I  am 
mistaken,"  he  said.  "  But  your  face  is  one  not  easily  for- 
gotten and,  besides,  one  of  the  women  prisoners  in  the  cave 
had  somehow  found  out  and  she  told  me  that  your  name 
was  Jesus  and  that  you  were  of  Nazareth." 

"  And  3^ou,  a  Roman,  remembered,  and  you  thought  that 
I,  a  Jew,  had  forgotten !     Jews  do  not  forget." 

"  And  yet  you  saved  my  life,  bound  up  my  wounds,  and 
served  me  in  the  most  menial  offices !  "  exclaimed  the  Ro- 
man, incredulously.  "  You  could  not  have  known  me  at 
the  first  and  have  done  these  things." 

"  Yes,  I  knew  you  all  the  time :  Jews  do  not  forget. 
But  I  saw  you  were  awake  and  listening  to  what  I  said  this 
morning  in  the  cave  about  fighting  and  killing;  may  not 
that  explain .''  " 

"  Yes,  I  heard  what  you  said  and  was  astonished  beyond 
measure,  at  first,  but  then  I  thought  that  after  all  you 
were  like  all  the  other  philosophers,  Roman  and  Greek, 
that  I  have  known  or  have  read  or  heard  about:  they  dis- 
course very  beautifully  and  point  out  the  way  for  men  to 


IM  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

reach  perfection,  but  they  themselves  continue  to  Kve  hke 
the  rest  of  the  world." 

"  Yes,  it  is  easy  to  preach  but  hard  to  practice,"  an- 
swered Jesus.  "  But  go  you,  and  do  as  I  have  done ;  and 
may  the  peace  of  God  be  with  you.  Farewell."  And 
turning  about  Jesus  retraced  his  steps  and  was  soon  lost 
to  sight  among  the  rocks. 


XIII 
THE  BOND  WOMAN 

"  The  State  is  the  curse  of  the  Individual." —  Ibsen. 

Again  we  are  in  the  Wilderness  of  Ziph,  and  at  the  cave 
of  Addi.  It  is  ten  years  and  more  since  we  were  here ;  but 
the  scene  has  not  changed.  The  httle  spring  ever  flows 
trickhng  from  the  rock.  The  trees  of  the  grove  still 
spread  their  umbrageous  shade  for  a  little  space  over  the 
desert  sands.  The  orange  and  the  oleander,  with  almost 
perpetual  flowers,  still  fill  the  air  with  fragrance,  and  the 
citron,  the  almond,  the  pomegranate,  the  olive,  and  the 
vine  supply  as  before  the  simple  wants  of  Addi  in  his  cave. 
Addi  himself  has  been  long  here, —  had  been  here  long 
when  we  first  saw  him  ten  years  ago. 

No  one  knows  who  he  was  or  whence  he  came;  but  the 
fame  of  him,  even  in  the  slow  East,  has  been  noised  abroad, 
and  men  in  distress  and  doubt  have  come  to  him,  as  to 
Menahem  the  Essene,  for  help  and  guidance.  As  their 
hearts,  so  their  expectations  and  demands.  To  those  who, 
like  Boaz,  mingled  the  worship  of  God  at  Jerusalem  with 
devotions  at  shrines  and  Mazars  on  hill-tops,  he  is  a  wizard 
and  sorcerer,  while  to  those  of  a  purer  faith  he  is  a  prophet 
and  a  man  of  God.  Addi  turns  no  man  away,  and  at 
times  a  number  of  disciples  have  occupied  the  cave  with 
him  and  shared  his  scanty  fare.  Men  disappointed  in  love, 
overwhelmed  by  losses,  defeated,  spurned,  and  oppressed 
by  enemies  thought  to  find  here  the  satisfactions  that  the 
world  denied. 

At  first  they  hung  upon  the  words  of  Addi  as  the  oracle 
of  God.  They  learned  them  by  heart  and  repeated  them 
in  solitude  like  prayers.  Then  thoughts  of  the  world  they 
had  left  began  to  creep  in :  old  passions  and  ambitions 

125 


126  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

awoke  again,  and  secret  longings  for  vengeance,  for  sen- 
sual and  worldly  satisfactions ;  and  soon  the  words  of  the 
master  grew  hollow  and  meaningless,  the  days  intolerably 
long  and  monotonous,  and  then  without  leave-taking  or 
farewell  they  were  gone. 

Addi  was  not  surprised,  he  did  not  complain:  he  only 
sighed  and  murmured  a  prayer.  And  now  Jesus  and  our 
old  acquaintance  John  are  here.  John  has  been  here  three 
3^ears  and  has  seen  many  disciples  come  and  go.  Jesus 
has  been  here  but  a  short  time, —  as  yet  only  a  visitor :  he 
has  not  fallen  in  with  all  the  extreme  austerities  of  Addi, 
as  John  has  done.  The  simple  fare  of  fruits,  locusts,  and 
wild  honey  he  has  easily  adopted,  for  his  diet  has  ever  been 
plain  and  hard;  and  he  repeats  with  Addi  and  John  the 
Shema  and  the  prayers  that  he  learned  at  his  mother's 
knee.  Like  Addi  and  John,  he  observes  the  stated  feasts 
and  the  new  moon,  and  on  Sabbath  mornings  a  service  of 
worship  such  as  Addi  says  was  in  use  in  the  time  of  the 
Patriarchs  when  there  were  no  Temples,  and  when  those 
Babylonian  abominations,  the  synagogues,  were  unknown. 
These  things  are  as  second  nature  to  Jesus,  and  he  falls 
in  with  them  gracefully  and  without  effort;  but  unlike 
John,  who  has  become  a  full  disciple  and,  like  Addi,  bathes 
his  whole  body  many  times  each  day  in  cold  water  and 
clothes  himself  only  in  the  leaves  and  bark  of  trees,  Jesus 
yet  clings  to  his  simple  peasant's  garb,  and  on  Sabbath  days 
after  morning  service  goes  off  alone  into  the  desert  and  re- 
turns only  after  nightfall. 

One  Sabbath  evening  Jesus  had  brought  in  a  wounded 
fox.  He  had  found  it  held  down  by  a  rock  that  had  fallen 
upon  it,  and  both  its  forelegs  were  broken.  It  was  a  great 
shock  to  Addi  and  to  John.  The  animal  was  unclean.  It 
was  pollution  to  touch  it.  And,  besides,  Jesus  had  broken 
the  Sabbath  in  rescuing  it.  How  could  Jesus  do  so ! 
But  Jesus  with  a  few  simple  words  brushed  aside  their  ob- 
jections and  gave  a  new  turn  to  their  thoughts.     "  It  is 


THE  BOND  WOMAN  127 

one  of  God's  creatures,"  he  said.  "  God  breathed  into  it, 
as  into  us,  the  breath  of  Life.  Life!  What  is  it.''  God 
alone  can  give  it.  Let  man  not  take  away  needlessly  what 
he  cannot  return."  And  so  the  fox,  tenderly  nursed  by 
Jesus,  lived,  and  refused  when  well  to  go  back  to  the 
desert.      It  followed  Jesus  like  a  dog,  and  slept  by  his  side. 

There  were  many  things  in  which  Jesus  differed  from 
Addi  and  John,  but  in  a  manner  so  exalted  and  self-effac- 
ing that  they  were  not  offended  and  not  only  tolerated  his 
objections  but  allowed  them  to  take  a  place  in  their 
thoughts,  and  in  spite  of  his  dissent  their  respect  and  love 
for  him  grew  insensibly  with  each  day.  Perhaps  it  was 
owing  something  to  habit  but  more  to  insight  and  convic- 
tion that  Jesus,  unlike  Addi  and  John,  worked  with  his 
hands  a  few  hours  each  day.  He  mildly  argued  with  the 
others  that  work  was  the  law  of  the  Universe,  and  cited 
scripture  to  prove  that  Adam  and  Eve  were  required  to 
work  even  in  Eden,  and  that  God  himself  worked.  But 
Addi  claimed  to  have  passed  to  higher  ground  than  Adam, 
and  as  for  God,  He  had  ceased  to  work  since  the  world  was 
made.  Man,  he  said,  was  the  noblest  of  God's  creatures 
and  if  faithful  towards  God  and  true  to  his  instincts  need 
not  work.  The  beasts  of  the  field  and  the  birds  of  the  air 
took  no  thought  for  the  morrow,  and  yet,  he  said,  God  pro- 
vided for  all  their  wants:  how  much  more  would  He  pro- 
vide for  men  creat(5d  in  his  own  image. 

And  so  in  the  years  that  Addi  had  occupied  the  cave  the 
grove  of  trees  and  vines  that  grew  about  it  had  with  long 
neglect  fallen  into  a  very  wild  and  waste  condition,  which 
it  was  painful  to  Jesus  to  see.  In  that  tropic  clime  and 
with  never  failing  moisture  supplied  by  the  spring,  a  rank 
growth  of  harmful  things  had  sprung  up,  and  the  once 
beautiful  grove  of  fruitful  trees  and  vines  had  become 
little  better  than  a  thicket  of  tangled  thorns  and  briars. 

In  this  grove  Jesus  worked  each  day,  pruning  and  cut- 
ting away  the   evil  weeds  and  rank  growths,  striving  to 


128  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

bring  order  again  out  of  chaos  and  to  make  beautiful  and 
productive  what  through  neglect  had  become  a  waste,  un- 
productive and  unbeautiful.  While  Jesus  worked  Addi 
and  John  read  and  talked  and  dreamed, —  their  one  book 
and  their  one  subject.  The  Law,  The  Law,  The  Law. 
They  went  over  together  for  the  thousandth  time  Genesis, 
Leviticus,  and  Deuteronomy,  and  the  Prophets,  discover- 
ing each  day  some  new  mystical  meaning.  The  Hebrew 
method  of  numeration  was  made  to  contribute  to  this  end- 
less entanglement  of  scripture  m/eaning.  The  Hebrew 
letters  being  used  for  numerals,  any  objectionable  word  in 
a  verse  might  be  changed  for  another  of  the  same  numerical 
value.  We  have  instances  of  this  method  even  as  late  as 
the  Book  of  Revelations,  where  the  name  of  the  Beast  is 
mystically  expressed  by  the  number  666,  which,  when  ex- 
pressed in  letters,  gives  the  name  of  Nero.  Not  only  each 
word  and  syllable  of  the  sacred  text,  but  every  letter  was 
held  to  have  various  profound  and  mystical  meanings, 
which  by  study,  fasting,  and  prayer  would  be  revealed  to 
the  pious  votary. 

One  day  in  midsummer,  sitting  beneath  the  great  orange 
tree  that  shaded  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  Addi  had  engaged 
Jesus  and  John  in  one  of  those  endless  discussions,  and 
their  subject  was  Ezekiel's  vision  of  the  wheel.  Jesus, 
after  listening  intently  as  was  his  wont,  without  saying 
much  himself,  at  last  stole  silently  away  to  his  work  in  the 
grove.  It  was  intensely  hot  in  that  narrow  gorge,  and 
not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring.  The  fox,  now  his  con- 
stant companion,  panting,  put  out  its  red  tongue  and 
looked  up  in  Jesus'  face,  as  if  in  mute  rebuke  of  stirring 
abroad  at  such  a  time.  The  birds  were  all  silent,  the  bul- 
buls  and  nightingales  had  sought  the  deepest  recesses  of 
the  thickets,  and  even  the  noisy  ravens  had  gone  to  the 
shelter  of  the  rocks.  No  living  thing  was  in  sight  but  a 
vulture,  high  on  a  crag,  with  wings  held  motionless,  out- 
spread, as   if  to  catch  the  faintest  breeze.     It  was  hard 


» 


THE  BOND  WOMAN  129 

working,  and  soon  Jesus  was  wet  with  sweat,  his  clothes 
torn,  and  his  hands  pierced  and  bleeding  with  the  thorns. 
He  was  thinking  of  Addi's  teaching  about  the  care  of  God 
for  all  His  creatures, —  the  birds  and  beasts  living  without 
work  or  care,  and  the  flowers  coming  forth  in  the  wilder- 
ness, extravagant  in  color  and  beauty.  And  now  in  his 
path  was  a  lily  of  a  kind  he  had  never  seen  before,  more 
gorgeously  beautiful  and  growing  in  the  depths  of  a 
thicket  where  no  human  eye  would  ever  see  it.  Jesus 
stooped  to  smell  its  perfume,  and  to  examine  it  closely. 
Then,  as  he  worked,  the  fox  made  its  bed  on  the  lily,  mar- 
ring all  its  delicate  beauty,  and  went  to  sleep.  In  an 
orange  tree  overhead  was  the  downy  nest  of  a  dove.  Jesus 
looked  into  it  and  found  the  half-grown  brood  dead,  with 
the  flies  swarming  about  them ;  and  then  he  remembered  how 
three  days  before  he  had  seen  the  mother  bird  struck  down 
and  carried  off"  by  a  prowling  hawk.  The  pruning  knife 
dropped  from  Jesus'  hands  and  he  stood  long  in  thought, 
forgetful  of  his  work,  while  the  fox  slept  on  and  the  flies 
swarmed  and  buzzed. 

How  long  Jesus  stood  there  he  did  not  know.  He  was 
aroused  at  length  by  the  bark  of  the  fox,  which  sprang 
up  in  alarm  and  pressed  close  to  his  feet,  looking  off"  into 
the  thicket.  Presently  Jesus  heard  some  object  making  its 
way  slowly  and  cautiously  towards  him.  Jesus  recovered 
his  pruning  knife,  and  further  armed  himself  with  a  stout 
club;  then  he  waited.  At  last,  but  still  unseen,  the  object 
could  be  heard,  pushing  its  way  slowly  through  a  copse 
of  thorny  Dardara  and  gigantic  leaved  Osher,  close  at 
hand.  Then  a  hand  and  bare  arm,  skinny,  emaciated,  and 
bleeding  with  thorns  was  thrust  out,  putting  aside  the 
leaves  of  the  Osher,  followed  by  a  dark,  wild,  haggard 
face,  framed  with  matted  locks  of  long  hair,  and  then  with 
bare  feet,  careful  to  avoid  the  thorns,  stepped  forth  naked 
except  for  a  tattered  rag  about  the  loins, —   a  woman. 

When  she  saw  Jesus  she  was  at  first  terrified,  and  turned 


130  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

as  if  to  flee ;  but  Jesus  called  to  her,  and  she  turned  again 
and  gave  a  wild,  beseeching  look  into  his  face.  Then  she 
came  and  threw  herself  on  the  ground  before  him,  em- 
bracing his  feet  with  tears  and  cries  for  mercy.  From  the 
force  of  education  and  life-long  habit,  Jesus  was  shocked 
by  the  touch  of  this  strange  and  unclean  woman.  Her 
hands  and  her  tears  on  his  feet  had  polluted  him;  then  he 
thought  it  would  not  add  to  his  pollution  if  he  put  his  hand 
upon  her.  So  he  took  her  by  the  arm  and  lifted  her  up. 
"  I  could  not  help  but  eat  of  the  fruit,"  cried  the  woman, 
"  for  I  was  starving." 

Jesus  reassured  her  with  kind  Avords,  and  having  caused 
her  to  sit  down  he  went  to  the  cave  and  brought  her  a  gar- 
ment of  camel's  hair  and  some  locusts  and  wild  honey. 
After  she  had  eaten,  the  woman  told  her  story.  "  I  am  a 
Syrian  woman,  and  my  home  is  in  Sepphoris,  of  Galilee. 
I  had  a  husband  and  four  children.  My  husband  and  I 
were  of  the  household  of  Herod,  and  we  were  prosperous 
and  happy.  Then  there  came  a  day  when  the  Evil  Spirit 
brought  a  disease  of  the  eyes  among  us,  and  we  were  all 
stricken  with  it.  We  employed  many  physicians,  and 
bought  amulets  and  charms ;  we  made  gifts  at  the  Great 
Mazar  of  Chorazin :  but  we  only  grew  worse.  Then  there 
came  an  Egyptian  Magic  Doctor,  who  said  that  for  a 
thousand  shekels  of  silver  he  would  cure  us  all,  and  so  my 
husband  gave  himself  and  his  family  in  pledge  for  the 
thousand  shekels  and  we  gave  them  to  the  Egyptian. 
Me  he  cured,  but  the  others  he  cured  not,  but  demanded 
still  other  thousand  shekels,  which  we  could  in  nowise  pro- 
cure, and  being  now  blind  neither  my  husband  nor  chil- 
dren could  earn  anything ;  and  when  the  thousand  shekels 
were  due,  we,  having  nothing  with  which  to  pay,  were  all  of 
us  sold  for  slaves.  My  husband  and  children,  being  blind, 
brought  but  little,  and  I  was  haled  away  and  sent  with  a 
caravan  that  was  going  to  Egypt.  When  we  reached 
Bozrah,  that  is  in  Midian  beyond  Moab,  I  escaped  from 


THE  BOND  WOMAN  ISl 

the  caravan  at  night,  and  since  then  have  been  lost  and 
wandering  in  the  desert,  I  know  not  how  long,  for  I  have 
lost  all  reckoning.  It  must  have  been  a  long  time  ago, 
for  I  who  was  then  a  young  woman  am  now  quite  old.  See 
how  skinny  and  shrunken  my  arms  are,  and  how  the  white 
is  in  my  hair." 


XIV 


THE  MAGI 

"Of  course  the  Jews  (or  many  of  them),  like  most  Ancients, 
believed  in  the  influence  of  the  planets  upon  the  destiny  of  man." — 
Edebsheim. 


It  SO  happened  that  while  Jesus  was  talking  with  the 
bondwoman  there  appeared  three  strange  men  before  the 
cave  of  Addi.  They  were  all  men  of  distinguished  bear- 
ing and  came  riding  on  camels,  with  servants  and  equi- 
page such  as  belonged  to  men  of  wealth  and  station.  Hav- 
ing made  the  usual  salutations  and  having  stated  the  object 
of  their  visit,  they  were  made  welcome  by  Addi,  and  their 
servants  proceeded  at  once  to  set  up  tents  and  prepare  for 
a  somewhat  lengthened  sojourn,  for  which  ample  pro- 
vision seemed  to  have  been  made.  There  was  grain  and 
provender  for  the  camels,  and  food  in  variety  and  abun- 
dance for  men,  with  ample,  well  filled  wine  skins,  and  rich 
eastern  fabrics  for  bedding  and  change  of  raiment. 

When  Jesus  returned  to  the  cave  he  found  the  three  vis- 
itors seated  with  Addi  and  John  under  the  great  orange 
tree  and  already  engaged  in  earnest  conversation.  The 
strangers  were  made  known  to  him  as  Rabbis  —  Raf ,  from 
Persia,  Alkim  from  India,  and  Gamaliel  from  Jerusalem. 
The  two  former  had  come  first  to  Jerusalem,  where  they 
had  spent  many  days  in  the  schools  of  the  Temple,  and  re- 
maining yet  unsatisfied  in  their  search  after  hidden  knowl- 
edge had  easily  prevailed  on  Gamaliel  to  accompany  them 
to  the  cave  of  Addi.  It  had  long  been  the  settled  policy 
of  Jerusalemites  of  all  classes  and  callings  to  encourage 
pilgrimages  to  the  Holy  Land,  for  they  were  a  source  of 
immense  revenue  and  profit  to  its  inhabitants.  Gamaliel 
shared  this  feeling,  and  when  Raf  and  Alkim  proposed  a 

132 


THE  MAGI  133 

visit  to  Addi  and  Menahera,  though  he  secretly  despised 
tliose  austere  sectaries  and  regarded  their  fame  as  an  evi- 
dence of  human  depravity,  he  cheerfully  acquiesced  in  the 
suggested  visit,  and  even  encouraged  a  reverential  regard 
for  those  holy  men. 

Jesus  had  scarcely  joined  the  group  at  the  cave  when 
another  man  was  seen  approaching  on  foot  and  alone.  He 
was  clothed  in  a  single  garment  of  coarse  cloth  that  had 
originally  been  pure  white,  but  which  from  long  wear 
without  washing  had  become  very  dark  and  grimy.  He 
seemed  quite  old  and  feeble,  and  walked  tremblingly,  lean- 
ing upon  a  staff.  His  snow-white  hair  and  beard  were 
long  and  matted,  while  his  hands  and  face  and  bare  feet 
were  dirty  and  repulsive.  When  he  came  up  the  old  man 
passed  before  the  group  under  the  tree,  and  leaning  with 
both  hands  upon  his  staff  looked  earnestly  at  them  and 
saluted.  "  May  the  peace  of  God  be  with  you."  Jesus 
and  Raf  and  Alkim  returned  the  salutation,  but  the  others 
stared  blankly  at  the  stranger  and  remained  silent.  No 
one  then  spoke  for  some  time,  and  after  the  old  man  had 
regarded  each  member  of  the  group  before  him  with  silent 
questioning,  his  worn  face  settled  into  a  look  of  bitter  de- 
spondency and  he  moved  feebly  away.  Gamaliel,  noticing 
the  look  of  surprise  on  the  faces  of  Raf  and  Alkim,  ex- 
plained to  them  that  the  old  man's  dress  of  white  was  that 
of  an  Essene,  but  that  his  dirt  and  squalor  indicated 
Levitical  uncleanness.  Gamaliel  said  he  was  probably  an 
Amhaarets, —  one  of  the  "  accursed  common  people  "  with 
whom  it  was  unlawful  for  Rabbis  to  have  any  communica- 
tion. 

While  Gamaliel  was  talking  Jesus  and  John  got  up  and 
followed  after  the  old  man;  they  both  remembered  him  as 
Shilath,  one  of  the  Essenes  whom  they  had  seen  with  Mena- 
hem  and  Cochiba.  After  they  had  found  a  place  for  him 
among  the  servants  of  Raf  and  Alkim  they  returned  to  the 
cave  and  told  who  it  was  who  had  been  turned  away.     To 


134  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

which  Addi  answered  that  if  Shilath  was  really  one  learned 
in  the  Law  he  might  after  suitable  prayers  and  ablutions 
be  received  among  them  at  the  cave.  Shilath,  meantime, 
though  welcomed  among  the  servants  of  Raf  and  Alkim, 
was  little  able  to  profit  by  their  hospitality.  For  some 
offense  that  he  did  not  explain  he  had  been  expelled  from 
the  Essene  congregation,  but,  still  bound  by  his  oath,  he 
dared  not  violate  his  obligation  as  an  Essene,  and  to  par- 
take of  food  prepared  or  even  touched  by  a  common  Jew 
(much  less  by  a  Gentile)  was  unpardonable  sin.  All  he 
dared  eat  while  in  exile  was  fruit  and  fresh  herbs  gathered 
by  his  own  hand:  even  the  dried  locusts  of  Addi  and  John 
were  to  him  an  abomination  as  being  flesh,  animal  food, 
which  to  Essenes  was  forbidden. 

And  so  with  such  an  austere  and  exclusive  Jew  as  Addi, 
Shilath,  a  fugitive  and  a  homeless  wanderer,  could  not  eat 
without  defilement,  without  breaking  an  oath  so  solemn 
and  awful  that  many  Essenes  had  been  known  to  starve  to 
death  rather  than  do  so.  An  Essene  expelled  from  his 
Order  was  cut  off  and  separated  from  human  society  al- 
most as  completely  as  if  he  were  the  only  man  on  the  earth. 
To  him  every  human  creature  was  as  one  leprous  and  un- 
clean. So,  too,  for  Addi  and  John  there  could  be  no 
intimate  domestic  association  with  the  Rabbis  Raf  and 
Alkim,  and  even  that  Arch  Pharisee  Gamaliel,  who  himself 
regarded  as  pollution  the  touch  of  any  ordinary  Jew  or 
even  of  any  ordinary  Pharisee,  was  to  their  superior  sanc- 
tity as  one  unclean.  All  these  could  sit  down  together  in 
the  open  air  and  converse,  but  they  could  not  eat  together 
or  touch  one  another.  They  must  not  touch  a  garment,  a 
stool,  a  cup,  or  any  article  belonging  to  one  outside  of 
their  Order. 

To  Raf  and  Alkim  these  hypercritical  distinctions  were 
somewhat  surprising,  but  were  not  wholly  new  or  strange. 
Bom  and  bred  and  steeped,  as  they  were,  in  a  kindred 
orientalism  and  having  come  with  the  hope  and  expecta- 


THE  MAGI  135 

tion  of  finding  that  which  was  superior  and  great,  they  nat- 
urally accepted  the  conditions  and  conclusions.  Like  the 
rest  of  the  world  they  saw  in  the  extreme  austerities  of 
Shilath  and  Addi  that  mortification  and  total  subjection 
of  the  flesh  and  the  purification  and  elevation  of  the  spirit 
so  clearly  pointed  out  and  commended  in  the  books  of 
Daniel  and  Esdras  and  in  the  life  of  Elijah.  Perhaps  no 
tenet  of  the  Jewish  religion  was  at  this  time  more  firmly 
established  or  more  universally  believed  than  that  by  fast- 
ing and  prayer  and  constant  study  of  the  Law  men  might 
become  equal  with  the  angels  and  command  the  most  hidden 
secrets  of  the  Most  High,  for  was  it  not  well  known  how 
the  Rabbi  Eliezar  had  by  his  word  alone  uprooted  trees, 
caused  great  walls  of  stone  to  bow  down,  turned  streams 
backwards,  and  performed  other  miracles.  And  the  Rabbi 
Rambau,  the  son  of  Nachman,  who  did  not  know  that  he 
had  been  called  by  the  Bath  Quol  to  decide  a  dispute  be- 
tween God  and  the  Angels  in  the  Sanhedrim  of  Heaven, 
and  that  miracles  without  number  had  been  wrought  at  his 
grave  ? 

On  the  day  after  the  events  above  narrated,  when  the 
company  were  all  assembled  about  the  cave  of  Addi,  Jesus 
asked  them  to  consider  a  subject  which,  he  said,  was  trou- 
bling him,  before  they  took  up  the  deeper  matters  that 
they  had  in  view.  And  then  he  told  them  about  the  Syrian 
woman  whom  he  had  found  in  the  thicket.  A  silence  fol- 
lowed, while  the  dark  faces  grew  severe,  and  frowning 
brows  bespoke  the  disapprobation  with  which  Jesus'  an- 
nouncement was  received. 

Addi  was  the  first  to  speak.  "  Your  youth,"  he  said 
sternl}',  addressing  Jesus,  "  will  in  some  measure  excuse 
you,  but  do  not  forget  hereafter  that  women,  especially 
of  the  class  you  speak  of,  are  to  us  as  if  they  were  not. 
What  say  you,  brothers  Raf  and  Alkim  and  Gamaliel?  '* 

"  The  learned  and  pious  Master  has  spoken  right," 
answered  Gamaliel.     "  A  Master  in  Israel  is  not  to  speak 


136  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

even  to  his  own  wife  in  public,  and  to  put  forth  a  hand  to 
save  the  life  of  a  heathen  woman  is  forbidden." 

Then  Alkim :  "In  our  Eastern  land,  where  we  are  still 
but  as  strangers  and  sojourners,  it  is  asserted  by  some  of 
our  most  learned  Rabbis  that  we  of  the  covenant  and  of 
Abraham  have  taken  on  something  and  become  in  some 
slight  degree  contaminated  by  the  heathen  people  around 
us.  It  was  partly  to  ascertain  if  this  was  so  and  to  what 
extent  that  Brother  Raf  and  myself  have  come  to  this 
Holy  Land  of  our  Fathers.  In  the  matter  of  women,  how- 
ever, I  would  say  that  we  of  the  East  have  not  fallen  away, 
but  with  the  most  distinguished,  learned,  and  reverend 
Masters  who  have  spoken  we  are  in  accord;  and  not  only 
are  we  in  accord,  but  we  go  even  farther:  it  is  said  with 
us,  if  a  Rabbi  would  attain  to  the  highest  place,  learn  the 
Ineffable  Name,  and  command  the  Angels  he  would  not 
put  forth  a  hand  to  save  his  own  mother  from  drowning 
if  he  had  to  touch  her." 

"  It  is  enough,"  said  Addi,  "  we  will  say  no  more  of  the 
woman,  only  to  warn  our  young  disciple  that  the  creature 
he  takes  so  much  interest  in  may  very  likely  be  a  cunning 
witch  sent  to  destroy  him;  and  I  will  here  impart  to  him 
a  secret  spell  by  which  he  may  overcome  the  wiles  of  a 
witch  or  of  the  evil  eye.  It  is  unlawful  for  me  to  repeat 
it  but  once;  and  if  you  fail  to  remember  it  exactly  as  I 
repeat  it,  it  will  avail  you  nothing.  Now  mark,"  and 
Addi  repeated :  "  Hot  filth,  into  your  mouths  from  bas- 
kets with  holes,  ye  witching  women.  Let  your  head  be- 
come bald,  and  the  wind  scatter  youi'  bread-crumbs.  Let 
it  carry  away  your  spices.  Let  the  fresh  saffron  which 
you  carry  in  your  hands  be  scattered.  Agrath,  Azelath, 
Asiya,  Belusiya  are  already  killed  by  an-ows.  Burst, 
curst,  Bartit,  Bar-tena,  Chashmagoz,  Merigoz,  Isteaham." 

Although  Addi  had  purposely  repeated  the  formula 
with  extreme  rapidity  and  mumbled  the  words  so  it  required 
the  closest  attention  to  understand  them  at  all,  there  was 


THE  MAGI  137 

not  one  of  his  hearers  who  did  not  catch  every  word  and 
syllable  and  was  not  able  to  repeat  them  afterwards.  No 
pupil  in  the  schools  could  hope  to  attain  to  the  dignity  of 
a  Rabbi  to  whom  the  saying  of  a  Master  had  to  be  re- 
peated. After  giving  his  formula  Addi  turned  at  once 
to  Raf  and  Alkim  and  said,  "  Perhaps  the  learned  broth- 
ers from  the  East  could  give  the  disciple  a  more  powerful 
spell  than  the  one  I  have  given.  I  have  many  times  heard 
it  said  that  the  Ineffable  Name  and  all  the  secret  words 
used  by  Solomon  to  work  miracles  have  not  been  wholly 
lost,  but  are  still  and  always  to  be  known  by  some  one  in 
Israel." 

All  eyes  were  now  turned  to  Raf,  who,  as  coming  from 
the  land  of  the  original  Magi,  was  looked  upon  as  most 
deeply  versed  in  that  kind  of  hidden  lore  they  were  con- 
sidering. "  No  doubt,"  said  he,  "  that  the  signet  ring 
of  Solomon,  with  the  Ineffable  Name  engraved  upon  it, 
is  somewhere  in  existence  at  this  day,  and  the  secret  words 
and  names  of  the  Angels  with  which  he  wrought  so  many 
miracles  are  known  to  be  obtained  by  prayer  and  fasting 
and  study.  But  of  course  they  are  not  to  be  given  except 
as  they  are  received,  and  are  not  for  a  time  and  place  like 
this.  With  us  in  the  East  the  names  of  the  Angels  have 
proved  to  be  the  most  potent  spells  with  which  to  deal  not 
only  with  witches  but  with  the  evil  spirits  that  inform 
witches,  and  with  all  the  hosts  of  Ashmedai  and  Lilith. 
But  there  is  a  great  difficulty  here  in  regard  to  the  names 
of  the  Angels.  It  appears  that  except  the  few  whose 
names  and  offices  are  known  to  all,  such  as  Michael  and 
Gabriel,  Metatron,  and  all  that  class  of  Angels  who  have 
special  powers  and  are  charged  with  special  work,  the 
names  are  changed  from  time  to  time  as  their  work  or  mes- 
sage changes,  making  it  impossible  except  for  the  most 
profound  and  powerful  Masters  to  make  use  of  them. 
The  names  of  the  Angels  used  by  Solomon,  or  even  by 
Hezekiah,  are  not  now  serviceable  because  not  only  have 


138  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  names  of  the  Angels  been  changed  but  the  Angels 
themselves  are  changed.  I  am  not  informed  how  far  the 
learned  Masters  of  the  West  have  progressed  in  this  study, 
but  the  rumor  has  long  been  prevalent  in  the  East  that 
there  was  in  the  West  a  Brotherhood  of  those  learned  in 
this  way  beyond  all  others.  The  name  given  to  them  by 
those  who  have  told  us  of  them  is  '  Chitsonim,'  and  it  was 
said  that  their  abode  was  in  the  wilderness  of  Judea." 

With  the  exception  of  Gamaliel,  whose  scornful  expres- 
sion revealed  the  contempt  in  which  he  secretly  held  these 
"Chitsonim"  (Outsiders  —  Essenes),  all  eyes  were  now 
turned  to  Shilath.  The  old  man,  weak  from  lack  of  food, 
had  sat  thus  far,  with  his  back  supported  against  the  wall 
of  rock,  silent,  grim,  and  motionless.  Except  for  the 
gleaming  black  eyes,  that  glowed  like  fires  beneath  beetling 
dark  brows,  he  appeared  more  like  a  corpse  than  a  living 
man.  When  he  opened  his  mouth  to  speak,  his  jaw 
trembled  violentl}^,  and  the  sound  that  came  out  was  only 
inarticulate  mumblings. 

Then,  drawing  himself  together,  he  began  again  and 
said  audibly,  "  It  has  been  the  will  of  God  (and  blessed 
be  His  name)  that  at  no  time  should  there  be  lacking  a 
remnant  in  Israel  who  should  obey  His  Laws,  keep  His 
statutes,  and  not  bow  the  knee  to  Baal.  That  remnant 
to-day  is  the  Essenes  or,  as  the  learned  brother  has  seen 
fit  to  call  them,  Chitsonim,  from  whose  fellowship  I  for 
unworthiness  have  been  expelled.  But  though  expelled, 
and  doomed  while  life  lasts  to  wander  alone  in  the  desert, 
I  am  still  as  much  bound  by  my  oath  not  to  reveal  the 
secrets  of  our  Order  as  if  I  remained  in  full  fellowship. 
I  can  tell  you  of  what  every  one  may  know,  that  we  follow 
strictly  the  Law  as  given  by  Moses,  and  discard  all  tra- 
dition. We  send  the  usual  gifts  to  the  Temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem, but  we  partake  in  no  blood  sacrifice  and  obey  literally 
the  command,  '  Thou  shalt  not  kill.'  We  eat  no  meat 
and  drink  no  wine.     We  promise  to  honor  God  and  to  in- 


THE  MAGI  139 

jure  or  hurt  no  man.  We  engage  in  no  war.  We  resist 
not  evil,  nor  return  blow  for  blow.  We  keep  no  slaves  and 
have  no  servants.  We  are  to  love  truth,  expose  liars ;  and 
we  have  all  property'  in  common.  We  have  no  money. 
We  bathe  the  whole  body  twice  each  day  in  cold  water. 
Marriage  is  permitted,  but  not  encouraged.  We  pray 
with  our  faces  to  the  rising  sun.  Our  only  reading  is  the 
holy  books  and  the  Law.  And  so,  as  was  promised,  our 
sons  and  our  daughters  prophesy,  our  old  men  dream 
dreams,  and  our  young  men  see  visions. 

"  We  are  bound  by  an  oath  to  keep  nothing  from  a 
brother,  and  the  same  oath  binds  us  to  reveal  no  secret  to 
another.  To  know  more  of  our  Order  or  its  secrets,  you 
must  enter  as  a  little  child,  no  matter  how  old  you  are, 
and  work  gradually  up  by  service,  obedience,  and  study  till 
you  are  found  worthy  to  be  intrusted  with  secrets  which 
give  command  of  the  Angels  and  open  the  gates  of 
Heaven." 

The  old  man  paused  from  sheer  exhaustion,  and  again 
leaned  back  against  the  wall  of  rock  and  closed  his  eyes. 
No  one  spoke  for  some  time,  when  Alkim  at  last  remarked 
gravely,  "  If  our  brother  Shilath  were  not  so  Avell  approved 
a  son  of  Abraham,  I  should  be  apt  to  think  of  him  and  his 
Order  as  more  like  heathen  Hindoos  than  as  followers  of 
Moses.  The  religion  of  India  to-day  has  much  in  com- 
mon with  what  the  Brother  has  spoken,  and  it  reminds  me 
of  what  I  have  often  heard,  that  zealous  apostles  of  that 
religion  have  secretly  gone  abroad  as  missionaries  into 
every  land  under  the  sun.  I  am  told  that,  disguised  as 
Hebrews,  they  have  penetrated  to  the  Holy  City  and  have 
stood  in  the  Court  of  Israel,  teaching  their  doctrines  to 
all  who  would  listen.  We  know  that  northwards,  in  the 
vast  unknown  regions  of  Gog  and  Magog,  they  have 
gained  entire  control.  They  have  penetrated  to  Sinim 
and  Zipango.  They  call  themselves  Buddhists  or  Bood- 
hists    and    are    followers    of    one    Siddhartha    or    Sakya- 


140  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Mouni,  a  great  prophet  who  lived  in  India  a  very  long 
time  ago.  I  fear  that  the  founder  of  the  Essene  Brother- 
hood must  have  listened  to  one  of  the  missionaries  I  speak 
of." 

Again  there  was  silence,  broken  at  length  by  Shilath. 
"  I  will  not  contend  with  the  Brother,"  he  said.  "  We  are 
taught  that  all  contention  is  vain,  but  if  the  Brother  seeks 
truth,  if  he  is  tired  of  the  falsity  of  all  the  world, —  of  its 
contentions  and  strifes, —  if  he  seeks  peace  and  joy  in  the 
love  of  God,  in  doing  His  will,  in  the  fellowship  of 
brethren,  let  him  go  to  Father  Menahem  and  begin  as  a 
little  child  to  learn  the  things  of  God;  and  if  the  brother 
proves  worthy,  from  him  shall  nothing  be  hid.  He  shall 
know  the  names  of  myriads  of  Angels  and  he  shall  have 
command  of  them.  No  evil  spirit  or  noxious  beast  shall 
be  able  to  do  him  harm.  The  bite  of  the  serpent  shall  not 
kill,  nor  the  poison  that  is  in  the  cup.  As  it  is  Avritten, 
'  The  sucking  child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp ;  and 
the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the  cockatrice's 
den." 

It  was  the  last  and  supreme  effort  of  Shilath,  and  it  being 
evident  that  he  could  talk  no  more  the  subject  was 
dropped,  and  that  of  Demons  and  those  possessed  with 
Devils  was  brought  up.  This  question  was  discussed  at 
some  length  and  there  appeared  considerable  disagreement 
of  opinion.  Addi  took  the  more  ancient  view  that  all 
Demons  or  Shedim  were  originally  the  back -bones  of  per- 
sons who  did  not  bow  down  to  worship  God.  But  Gama- 
liel and  the  others  took  the  more  advanced  ground  that 
Demons  were  the  souls  of  the  ancient  Giants,  of  whom 
there  were  so  many  accounts  in  Scripture.  They  all  agreed 
that  Demons  entered  into  and  took  possession  of  persons 
to  their  harm,  causing  various  diseases  and  often  com- 
pelling the  person  possessed  to  act  strangely  and  even  to 
become  dangerous.  It  was  also  agreed  that  there  were 
certain  times,   places,    and   circumstances   when   men   were 


THE  MAGI  14<1 

specially  liable  to  be  attacked  by  Demons,  as  Wednesday 
and  Sabbath  eves,  in  a  shadow  cast  by  the  moon,  or  after 
walking  over  water  that  had  been  poured  out  unless  it 
had  been  covered  with  earth  or  spat  upon. 

As  to  remedies  and  defenses  against  Demons,  there  ap- 
peared here,  as  among  modern  doctors,  a  great  diversity 
of  opinion.  It  was  agreed  that  amulets  and  charms  were 
very  efficacious  against  Demons  generally,  but  Gamaliel 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  had  often  observed  that 
even  "  probate  "  amulets, —  amulets  that  had  performed 
three  unquestionable  cures, —  might  afterwards  be  found 
useless  where  the  person  using  it  was  at  the  time  under 
an  adverse  star  or  constellation.  He  had  known  other 
failures  from  amulets,  he  said,  where  the  names  and  num- 
bers of  the  Demons  sought  to  be  exorcised  was  wrongly 
written  on  the  amulet. 

Then  Gamaliel  went  on  to  tell  of  a  plant  called 
Baaras,  which  was  known  to  certain  of  the  learned  in 
Judea  and  which,  once  laid  hold  of,  enabled  its  possessor 
to  cast  out  any  Demon.  "  This  plant,"  he  asserted,  "  is 
of  the  color  of  flame  and  at  evening  sends  out  a  ray  like 
lightning.  But  it  is  death  to  an^^  who  touch  it  unless  it 
first  have  the  urine  of  a  woman  or  her  menstrual  blood 
poured  upon  it.  Then  it  may  be  dug  and  taken  away, 
but  only  in  one  way.  The  root  must  hang  down  from  the 
hand  or  otherwise  it  kills  the  man  or  animal  that  touches 
it.  But  the  plant  is  very  rare,  and  I  know  not  any  one 
who  has  ever  seen  it."  *  • 

On  the  whole,  Gamaliel  was  inclined  to  think  that  the 
power  of  exorcism,  such  as  was  possessed  by  Solomon  and 
Hczekiah,  had  been  lost,  "  That  is  to  sa}',"  he  explained, 
"  though  there  are,  no  doubt,  many  instances  where  ex- 
orcism has  proved  wonderfully  efficacious,  and  astonish- 
ing things  are  now  done  by  these  means,  our  power  over 
Demons  seems  to  be  accidental  and  uncertain ;  the  spells  to 

*  Jos.  War,  vii,  C-3. 


142  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

be  used,  the  names  of  the  Angels  and  also  of  the  Demons 
are  constantly  changing,  and  we  can  no  longer  proceed 
by  those  fixed  and  immutable  laws  which  seem  to  have 
governed  in  the  olden  time.  Of  course,"  he  continued, 
bowing  deferentially  to  Raf  and  Alkim,  "  I  speak  only  of 
Palestine,  the  Holy  Land.  Perhaps  it  is  true,  as  I  have 
often  heard,  that  among  the  Captivity  the  true  knowledge 
has  not  been  lost,  and  the  secrets  known  to  Moses  and  to 
Solomon  have  been  preserved." 

To  which  Alkim  replied :  "  The  Brother  is  right :  it 
is  the  will  of  God  that  no  great  truth  revealed  by  Him  to 
His  People  shall  be  lost.  As  with  the  ark  which  Jeremiah 
buried  on  Mount  Nebo,  and  the  Shechinah  and  the  Urim 
and  Thummim  and  Aaron's  rod,  and  also  like  the  promises 
of  Jehovah,  they  only  wait.  When  Shiloh  comes  all  will 
be  revealed.  That  the  secrets  concerning  all  these  things 
are  preserved  among  the  Dispersed  is  not  to  be  doubted. 
Ezekiel,  as  we  know,  and  also  Daniel  must  have  been  in- 
structed in  all  knowledge.  I  will  say  no  more,  as  it  is  un- 
lawful to  communicate  such  knowledge :  it  must  be  gained 
direct,  as  Moses  and  the  prophets  gained  it,  by  fasting  and 
prayer  and  study." 

Here  Addi  broke  in  with  well  known  quotations  from  the 
Holy  Books.  "  '  In  those  days,'  says  Daniel,  '  I  mourned 
three  full  weeks.  I  ate  no  pleasant  bread,  neither  came 
flesh  or  wine  in  my  mouth,  neither  did  I  anoint  myself  at 
all,  till  three  full  weeks  were  fulfilled;  then  I  lifted  up 
mine  eyes  and  looked,  and  behold  a  certain  man,  clothed  in 
linen,  whose  loins  were  girded  with  fine  gold  of  Uphaz,' 
and  in  Esdras  it  is  written  how  the  Angel  said  to  him, 
'  Go  to  the  flowery  open,  where  there  is  no  house,  and  eat 
only  the  herbs  of  the  field;  taste  no  flesh,  drink  no  wine; 
but  eat  herbs  only,  and  pray  unto  the  Highest  continually ; 
then  will  I  come  and  talk  with  thee ! '  " 

Conversation  on  these  lines  was  continued  for  some 
time,  and  it  was  admitted  by  all  that  by  solitude,  fasting, 


THE  MAGI  143 

and  prayer,  the  secret  knowledge  and  prophetic  visions 
as  of  old  might  be  gained,  with  power  over  evil  spirits 
and  to  work  miracles.  Then  Raf  reverted  to  what  Gama- 
liel had  said  about  adverse  stars  and  constellations.  "  Our 
Jerusalem  Brother,"  he  said,  "  has  spoken  of  the  effect 
that  stars  have  to  destroy  the  good  that  is  in  amulets  and 
charms.  In  the  East  this  power  that  is  in  the  stars  has 
long  been  known,  and  it  is  believed  by  many  of  our  most 
learned  Rabbis  that  not  only  have  the  stars  a  most  potent 
influence  over  men  and  events,  but  that  through  them  God 
speaks  to  His  People  as  He  did  formerly  through  the 
Shechinah  and  by  the  Urim  and  Thummim.  One  thing  at 
least  in  this  connection  is  certainly  known, —  that  new  and 
flaming  stars  and  other  extraordinary  appearances  in  the 
heavens  are  sent  as  the  forerunners  of  great  prophets  or 
great  events.  We  all  no  doubt  remember  of  hearing  our 
fathers  tell  of  the  strange  things  seen  in  the  heavens  when 
Pompey  polluted  the  Holy  Place  in  the  Temple,  and  again 
before  the  death  of  Cassar. 

"  That  wonderful  star  that  we  all  must  remember  to 
have  seen  about  twenty  years  ago  was  universally  believed 
at  the  time  to  be  the  forerunner  of  the  Messiah,  and  our 
Eastern  Rabbis  confidently  predicted  that  he  would  shortly 
appear,  and  many  of  them  even  yet  affirm  that  that  star 
was  the  one  referred  to  by  Baalam  when  he  prophesied 
of  Israel.  That  the  days  of  the  Messiah  are  now  close  at 
hand,  they  all  believe  and  they  still  look  and  pray  daily  for 
his  coming."  At  this  point,  the  time  having  arrived,  Addi 
arose  and  began  abruptly  repeating  a  set  prayer  of  the 
Jewish  ritual.  In  this  he  was  joined  at  once  by  Jesus 
and  John,  and  later  by  Raf  and  Alkim  and  Gamaliel ;  and 
even  Shilath,  without  opening  his  eyes  and  too  weak  to 
utter  the  words  aloud,  moved  his  lips  in  unison. 


XV 


THE  PASSING  OF  SHILATH 

"  He  dreaded  not  the  greatest  of  all  defilements, —  that  of  con- 
tact with  the  dead,  which  Rabhinism  had  surrounded  with  endless 
terrors." —  Edersheim. 


When  the  tune  came  for  breaking  up,  Raf  and  Alkim 
and  Gamahel  went  away  to  their  tents,  and  Addi  into  his 
caA^e,  leaving  Jesus  and  John  alone  with  Shilath.  The 
old  man  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  around,  and  made  an 
effort  to  rise;  but  he  seemed  dizzy  with  weakness  and  fell 
back,  bruising  his  head  against  the  rock.  Jesus  looked 
at  him  pityingly,  and  said  to  John,  "  It  can  hardly  be  that 
God  will  look  upon  it  as  sin  to  put  forth  a  hand  to  help 
this  dying  man." 

"  It  does  seem  so,"  said  John,  "  but  you  have  heard  him 
say  that  he  is  expelled  from  his  own  Brotherhood  for  sin, 
and  his  whole  appearance  is  as  of  one  unclean:  he  has 
not  washed  even  his  hands." 

"  Neither  has  he  eaten,"  answered  Jesus.  "  He  is  starv- 
ing to  death  because  our  touch  and  our  food  are  pollution 
to  him,  and  we  are  consenting  to  his  death  before  our  eyes 
because  liis  touch  is  pollution  to  us.  O  my  Brother! 
There  is  something  wrong  in  all  this.  Surely  it  cannot 
be  the  true  way.  If  God  is  the  Father  of  us  all,  this  man 
is  our  brother,,  and  the  poor  wretched  woman  who  is  hiding 
with  the  wild  beasts  in  the  thicket  is  our  sister.  In  our 
painful  grasping  after  dark  and  hidden  knowledge,  I  fear 
we  are  blind  to  the  greatest  and  the  plainest  truths." 

John  made  no  answer  but  turned  away  to  his  washings 
and  private  devotions,  leaving  Jesus  alone  with  Shilath. 
The  shadows  of  evening  were  already  falling  and  the  air 
was  chill.      Jesus  offered  to  take  Shilath  up  in  his  arms 

144 


THE  PASSING  OF  SHILATH  145 

and  carry  him  away  to  the  tents  of  the  servants  of  Raf 
and  Alkim ;  but  Shilath  motioned  him  away.  Then  Jesus 
brought  ripe  figs  and  other  fruits,  with  caper  buds,  for 
Shilath  to  eat;  but  he  refused  them  all,  and  reaching  out 
his  hand  plucked  the  green  leaves  and  pods  from  a  wild 
lentil  bush  that  ran  up  along  the  rock  and  filled  his  mouth 
with  them.  But  ho  was  too  weak  either  to  masticate  or 
swallow  such  unwholesome  food.  Jesus  was  deeply 
troubled  to  knoAv  what  to  do.  The  servants  of  the  Rabbis 
he  knew  would  gladly  do  anything  they  could:  but  to  the 
mind  and  heart  of  Shilath  any  assistance  they  could  give 
was  doing  him  violence. 

Jesus  sat  down  on  a  stone  and  leaned  his  face  upon  his 
hands.  Then  the  fox,  which  had  hidden  away  while  the 
others  were  near,  came  and  sat  down  before  Jesus  and 
looked  up  in  his  face.  After  a  time,  John,  returning 
from  his  solitary  devotions,  passed  by  and  entered  the 
cave.  Addi  and  he  came  out  and  bathed  themselves  and 
repeated  the  Shema,  with  other  long  prayers.  At  the 
same  time  could  be  heard  from  the  tents  of  Gamaliel  and 
Raf  and  Alkim  the  sound  of  voices  loudly  repeating  the 
same  prayers.  Jesus  sat  alone,  motionless,  with  vacant 
eyes.  An  hour  later,  and  the  full  moon  arose  and  poured 
its  flood  of  mellow  light  over  all,  as  it  did  on  that  night 
when  the  two  lost  children,  v/ith  arms  about  each  other's 
necks,  wandered  here  ten  years  ago. 

At  last  the  tents  were  all  silent,  and  Addi  and  John  were 
asleep.  A  swarm  of  bats  that  lived  in  the  cave  flitted 
visible  in  the  moonlight,  making  a  noise  with  their  wings, 
while  from  time  to  time  a  nightingale  from  the  orange 
tree  poured  forth  its  mournful  song. 

And  now,  creeping  out  from  the  thicket  into  the  moon- 
light, the  figure  of  a  man  or  a  woman,  in  a  long  robe,  with 
uncovered  head  and  long,  unbound  hair,  comes  forward 
furtively,  while  the  fox  growls  and  takes  refuge  behind  its 
master.     At    last   the    figure    comes    closer    and    looks    at 


146  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Jesus  and  the  dying  man,  and  then  sits  down  in  silence 
and  waits.  It  is  the  bondwoman  of  Sepphoris.  Towards 
morning  a  pack  of  jackals  came  sneaking  near  but  were 
driven  away  by  the  woman.  When  the  light  of  day  be- 
gan to  appear  and  there  was  a  stir  in  the  camp  of  the 
Rabbis,  the  woman  got  up  and  went  away  into  the  thicket. 
Addi  and  John  came  out  and  bathed  and  repeated  their 
prayers,  as  did  also  the  Rabbis  farther  away. 

When  at  last  the  company  were  gathered  again  about 
the  cave  they  stood  aghast.  Shilath  lay  dead  with  the 
green  lentils  between  his  teeth  and  a  swarm  of  flies  about 
him,  while  far  overhead  a  number  of  vultures  were  slowly 
circling.  Jesus,  with  eyes  still  fixed  on  vacancy,  had  not 
moved,  and  seemed  unaware  of  aught  about  him  till  John 
shook  him  by  the  shoulder. 

That  day  Jesus  did  not  meet  with  the  Rabbis  about  the 
cave.  He  was  already  unclean  from  contact  with  Shilath. 
In  carrying  him  away  and  burying  him,  he  became  like  a 
leper  to  the  scrupulous  Rabbis,  and  must  remain  apart 
till  duly  cleansed  and  purified.  Jesus  himself  scooped 
out  a  shallow  grave  in  the  desert  sands,  and  with  the  help 
of  the  servants  of  the  Rabbis  carried  Shilath  and  laid  him 
in  it.  They  found  a  much  worn  roll  of  the  Law  under  his 
garment  and  next  his  heart.  This  was  all  of  Shilath's 
earthly  possessions.  When  the  men  carrying  him  went 
out  past  the  thicket,  the  woman  followed  them ;  her  head 
and  face  were  covered,  and  her  hands  were  full  of  flowers. 

When  Shilath  was  laid  in  the  grave  she  came  timidly  for- 
ward and  placed  the  flowers  about  his  head  and  on  his 
breast.  Then  Jesus  spoke  and  told  what  he  had  learned 
about  Shilath,  and  said  that  he  could  not  look  upon  him 
other  than  as  a  brother  man,  one  of  God's  children ;  and 
he  believed  that  God  would  be  pleased  and  not  angry  to 
have  them  perform  these  sad  rites  with  loving  care.  Then 
Jesus  prayed  and  said:     "  Our  Father  in   Heaven!     In 


THE  PASSING  OF  SHILATH  147 

the  presence  of  this  death  and  what  we  are  taught  of  the 
clean  and  the  unclean,  our  hearts  are  troubled.  Show  us 
the  real  truth  as  it  is  in  Thy  Holy  Law  and  help  us  to 
walk  therein." 

While  Jesus  was  speaking,  Esli,  the  servant  of  Alkim, 
looked  earnestly  at  him,  and  Jesus  looked  earnestly  at 
Esli.  Esli  had  all  the  appearance  and  features  of  a  high 
class  Jew,  and  though  somewhat  past  middle  age  was 
evidently  hale  and  rugged.  The  other  servants,  though 
younger,  were  of  the  better  sort,  and  all  Jews. 


XVI 


PROPHECY 

"Thy  prophets  have  seen  vain  and  foolish  things  for  thee." — Lam- 
entations xi,  14. 

The  next  day,  when  the  Rabbis  were  sitting  with  Addi 
and  John,  Jesus  came  again  from  the  way  of  the  desert. 
He  was  yet  unclean  to  the  scrupulous  Rabbis  and  he  sat 
down  apart  as  a  disciple  not  asked,  nor  offering,  to  take 
part  in  the  discussions.  The  subject  of  the  Messiah  as 
the  One  Great  Theme  had  occupied  them  most  of  the  day 
before  and  was  still  before  them.  So  long  and  so  in- 
tensely had  the  Jewish  mind  been  occupied  by  this  sub- 
ject, and  so  given  was  it  to  subtile  scholastic  speculations, 
that  in  the  time  of  which  we  write  almost  every  subject  of 
human  knowledge  was  made  tributary  to  the  Messianic 
expectation.  There  was  scarcely  a  chapter  of  the  Bible, 
from  Genesis  to  Malachi,  in  which  some  Rabbi  had  not 
found  reference  to  the  promised  deliverer. 

Resuming  a  discourse  of  the  previous  day,  Gamaliel 
was  the  first  to  speak.  "  As  I  was  saying  yesterday,"  he 
began,  "  since  it  is  agreed  by  all  that  Elias  must  first 
come  as  the  forerunner  of  the  Messiah,  there  should  be 
the  further  agreement  as  to  how  we  shall  know  Elias  when 
he  comes.  The  remarks  of  the  learned  brothers  from  the 
East  yesterday  revealed  a  wider  divergence  of  opinion  on 
this  subject  than  I  had  before  realized.  That  Elias  would 
be  known  by  his  first  restoring  to  Israel  the  golden  pot  of 
manna,  the  anointing  oil,  and  Aaron's  rod  that  budded  and 
bore  fruit  has  been  accepted  with  us  here  in  the  West  as 
certain  signs  by  which  we  should  know  him.  There  are 
many  others,  but  these  first  of  all.  The  saying  of  Raf 
that  his  coming  should  be  known  by  a  general  and  genuine 

148 


PROPHECY  149 

repentance  in  all  Israel  has  not  been  so  much  insisted 
upon,  but  there  are  minor  difFcrences  and  of  course  all 
will  in  some  way  prove  true.  What  a  Rabbi  has  said  can- 
not be  disputed.  The  reference  by  the  brother  to  Deu- 
teronomy xviii  as  explained  by  Jeremiah  xxxii,  31,  no 
doubt  points  to  a  new  covenant ;  but  it  is  here  believed  that 
the  new  covenant  referred  to  is  to  be  established,  not  by 
Elias,  but  by  the  Messiah.  Ezekiel  xi,  19  is  admitted  to 
be  a  prophecy  of  the  new  covenant  to  be  established  by 
the  IMessiah  and  not  by  Elias." 

To  this  Raf  replied  by  quoting  Genesis  i,  2  and  Samuel 
xi,  19.  He  affirmed  that  repentance  as  a  necessary  prep- 
aration for  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  was  here  fore- 
shown. To  this  Addi  gave  his  support  and  quoted  Jere- 
miah iii,  22.  Gamaliel  replied  by  referring  to  Isaiah  lii,  3 
and  was  answered  by  Alkim,  who  cited  Malachi  iii,  7. 
Gamaliel,  thus  opposed  by  all  the  other  Rabbis,  was  not 
disconcerted,  but  retorted  by  quoting  Jeremiah  iii,  14. 
Then  Raf  responded  by  reference  to  Isaiah  xxx,  15,  and 
Gamaliel  quoted  Isaiah  xlix,  7,  whereupon  Addi,  still  in 
opposition,  quoted,  more  aptly,  Jeremiah  iv,  1,  and  was 
promptly  answered  by  Gamaliel,  who  relied  upon  Daniel 
xii,  7.  Both  Jesus  and  John,  as  well  as  all  the  Rabbis, 
were  so  familiar  with  Scripture  that  they  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  following  these  arguments,  their  trained  memories 
recalled  instantly  the  passages  cited,  without  having  re- 
course to  the  written  rolls. 

The  argument  on  these  lines  had  been  far  more  pro- 
longed on  the  day  previous,  and  it  was  felt  that  enough 
had  been  said  on  the  subject  for  the  present;  and  Raf,  to 
change  the  subject,  now  asked,  "  When,  then,  do  you  say, 
that  the  Messiah  will  appear.'*  "  Gamaliel  seemed  to  hesi- 
tate somewhat  at  this  direct  question  and  appeared  loath  to 
reply ;  but  he  answered  at  last,  and  said,  "  I  would  not 
be  counted  with  those  who  say,  as  do  many,  that  the  times 
appointed   for  the   coming   of   the   Messiah   are   all   past 


150  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  therefore  he  will  not  come.  Even  the  Rabbi  Hillel 
has  said  that  the  Messiah  will  no  more  come,  because  He 
has  already  been,  in  the  days  of  King  Hezekiah.  With 
Rabbis  Samuel  and  Jonathan  I  would  say,  rather,  let 
their  bones  be  broken  who  are  so  faithless.  Certain  times 
seem  to  have  passed  when  many  expected  him,  but  we  may 
learn  from  Habakkuk  that  it  is  for  us  to  patiently  wait, 
being  ever  sure  that  the  Messiah  will  come;  but  when,  I 
must  admit  myself  unable  to  say,  but  it  seems  to  me  not 
near.  There  are  so  many  things  to  come  before  the 
Messiah  that  I  despair  of  seeing  him  in  my  day  or  for  a 
long  time  to  come.  Rabbi  Chanina  has  called  attention 
to  the  fact  that  the  Messiah  cannot  come  till  fish  have  been 
sought  for  the  sick  and  cannot  be  found,  as  proved  by 
Ezekiel  xxx,  11—14  in  connection  with  Ezekiel  xxix,  21. 
Again  it  is  said,  according  to  Isaiah  xviii,  5-7,  that  the 
Messiah  cannot  come  till  the  foreign  yoke  shall  be  lifted 
from  Israel.  And  again,  according  to  Zephaniah 
iii,  11-12,  he  cannot  come  till  there  be  no  more  proud  in 
Israel;  and  according  to  Isaiah  i,  26,  till  judges  and 
rulers  have  ceased.  There  seems  little  present  prospect 
of  all  these  things  being  accomplished." 

When  Gamaliel  paused,  Addi  answered  him.  "  When 
thou  seest  a  generation  upon  which  sorrows  come  like  a 
stream',  then  expect  the  Messiah,  as  shown  by  Isaiah 
lix,  19—20 ;  and  again,  when  darkness  covers  Israel,  as 
in  Isaiah  ix,  2.  And  are  we  not  now  in  sorrows  like  a 
stream,  and  does  not  darkness  cover  Israel?  " 

Following  upon  this  was  a  long  discussion  about  when 
the  Messiah  should  appear.  Of  course  Scripture  grounds 
were  alone  taken,  and  innumerable  passages  cited,  as  well 
from  the  Book  of  Ruth  and  the  Songs  of  Solomon  as  from 
the  Prophets.  After  a  time  the  discussion  took  wider 
range,  and  the  name  and  personal  appearance  of  the 
Messiah    were    minutely    discussed, —  what    he    would    say 


PROPHECY  151 

and  do,  and  the  condition  of  Palestine  and  of  the  world  in 
IMcssianic  times. 

In  all  which  Gamaliel  alone,  though  professing  in  a 
general  way  an  orthodox  belief  in  the  coming  Redeemer, 
showed  a  secret  leaning  towards  doubt  and  denial.  He 
was  not  less  under  the  dominion  of  tradition  and  authority 
than  the  others,  but  using  his  right  as  a  Rabbi  he  inter- 
preted differently  and  explained  away. 

He  seemed,  however,  to  take  pride  in  showing  his 
mastery  of  the  subject  by  apt  quotations,  and  gave  a 
disquisition  of  some  length  on  the  hidden  meaning  of  the 
Canticles.  In  so  doing  he  first  paid  Raf  and  Alkim  the 
compliment  of  observing  that  Canticles  i,  8  no  doubt  re- 
ferred to  the  dispersed  among  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
promise  was  that  they  should  be  nourished  in  captivity  un- 
til the  time  that  the  Messiah  should  be  sent  to  them,  who 
would  "  feed  them  in  quietness."  He  then  proceeded  to 
verse  17  and  said:  "In  this  we  may  see  a  prediction  of 
the  Temple  to  be  built  by  the  Messiah,  so  much  more 
glorious  than  that  of  Solomon,  for  "  its  beams  are,"  as 
here  indicated,  "  to  be  of  the  cedars  of  Paradise."  In 
Canticles  iii,  11,  we  find  a  clear  reference  to  the  Messiah, 
in  that  it  describes  Him  as  a  Bridegroom  rejoicing  over 
the  Bride,  which  is  the  Messiah  rejoicing  on  that  day 
when  the  new  Sanctuary  shall  be  built  and  Jerusalem  re- 
deemed. In  Canticles  v,  10,  we  are  to  learn  that  the 
Messiah  is  to  be  white  to  Israel,  and  according  to 
Isaiah  Ixii,  2  he  will  be  red  to  the  Gentiles.  This  beauti- 
ful poem  of  Solomon's,  Avhich  some  have  thought  should  be 
rejected  from  the  Sacred  Canon,  is  full  of  references  to 
Him  who  is  to  come,  many  of  which  I  pass  over;  but  per- 
haps there  is  nothing  in  it  more  worthy  of  our  attention 
just  now  than  Canticles  viii,  4.  In  this  the  King  Mes- 
siah says:  'I  adjure  my  people,  House  of  Israel,  why 
should  you  rise  against  the  Gentiles  to  go  out  of  captivity, 


152  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  why  should  you  rebel  against  the  might  of  Gog  and 
Magog.  Wait  a  little,  till  those  nations  are  consumed 
which  go  up  to  trouble  Israel.  In  those  days  the  Lord 
will  remember  His  chosen  and  set  Israel  free.'  Again  in 
Canticles  viii,  1  we  have  it  that  at  the  time  the  King  Mes- 
siah shall  be  revealed  to  the  congregation  the  children  of 
Israel  shall  say  to  him :  '  Come  and  be  a  brother  to  us,  and 
let  us  go  up  to  Jerusalem  and  there  suck  with  thee  the 
meaning  of  the  Law,  as  an  infant  its  mother's  breast.'  " 

It  would  be  tedious  to  follow  these  learned  Rabbis  into 
all  the  details  of  this  discussion.  Enough  has  been  told  to 
show  the  trend  and  character  of  Rabbinic  learning  and 
research.  As  already  indicated,  the  discussion  we  are 
considering  soon  fell  into  a  rambling,  broken,  rhapsodical 
presentation  of  Scripture  texts  that  were  supposed  to  be 
prophetic  of  Messianic  times,  as  Ezekiel  xxv,  14,  which 
Raf  said  meant  that  the  Messiah  would  subdue  all  nations 
under  his  feet.  Then  Alkim  showed  the  bias  of  his 
Hindoo  surroundings  by  quoting  Genesis  v,  1  to  prove,  as 
he  said,  that  the  Messiah  will  not  come  till  all  souls  pre- 
destined for  it  have  appeared  in  human  bodies  on  the 
earth.  Gamaliel  again  spoke  of  Canticles  i,  16,  where  it 
says,  "  Our  bed  is  green,"  and  connecting  it  with  Jere- 
miah iii,  18  held  that  these  passages  contained  the  pre- 
diction that  the  captive  ten  tribes  should  be  delivered  by 
Judah  and  Benjamin  and  they  would  be  altogether  under 
the  Messiah's  rule. 

Raf  again  explained  how  the  sin  of  Lot's  daughters 
had  reference  to  the  Messiah.  Alkim  proved  by  Scrip- 
ture that  the  horns  of  the  ram  offered  by  Abraham  in  place 
of  Isaac  would  be  used  —  the  larger  one  by  the  Messiah  to 
summon  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  and  the  smaller  one  by  the 
Almighty  Himself  on  Mount  Sinai.  Gamaliel,  to  finish 
up,  showed  how  the  ass  which  the  Messiah  would  ride  was 
the  same  ass  ridden  by  Abraham  when  he  went  to  offer 
Isaac,  and  by  Moses  when  he  came  back  to  Egypt, —  the 


PROPHECY  153 

ass  having  been  specially  created  on  the  eve  of  tlie  first 
Sabbath. 

In  these  discussions,  Jesus  and  John,  as  being  only  dis- 
ciples, took  no  part,  only  listening  attentively ;  and  Addi 
himself  had  been  mainly  silent.  At  length  Gamaliel  sug- 
gested that  as  they  had  come  to  the  desert  for  the  purpose 
of  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Addi,  and  learning  of  him,  they 
should  earnestly  ask  a  more  complete  declaration  of  his 
views  about  the  Messiah.  Addi,  thus  solicited,  addressed 
himself  to  his  task. 

He  was  sitting  on  a  stone  in  the  mouth  of  his  cave  and 
from  this  he  did  not  arise.  He  flung  off  his  mantle  of 
fig  leaves,  leaving  his  body  nearly  naked,  muttered  a  few 
unintelligible  words  of  prayer  or  adjuration,  and  then 
raising  his  head  and  fixing  his  eyes  in  a  trance-like  stare, 
began :  "  I  shall  see  Him,  but  not  now ;  I  shall  behold 
Him,  but  not  nigh.  There  shall  come  a  star  out  of 
Jacob,  and  a  scepter  shall  rise  out  of  Israel  and  shall 
smite  the  corners  of  INIoab  and  destroy  all  the  children  of 
Sheth.  This  day  is  this  prophecy  fulfilled,  for  again  the 
oracle  declares,*  '  When  Rome  once  rules  over  Egypt, 
then  will  the  greatest  of  the  kingdoms,  that  of  the  Immor- 
tal King,  appear  among  men,  and  a  Holy  Lord  shall 
come,  who  will  rule  all  countries  of  the  earth  thi'ough  all 
ages,  as  time  flows  on.'  One  day  (one  thousand  years) 
less  two-thirds  of  an  hour  hath  God  allotted  to  the 
heathen,  and  then  behold  Messiah  comes.  His  star  has 
already  appeared.  He  Himself  is  here  to-day  and  on  all 
days  since  His  star  appeared,  waiting  for  Israel  to  repent. 

"  I  see  Sin  as  a  Scarlet  Woman,  sitting  on  the  moun- 
tain of  Zion,  and  I  see  the  Lord  our  Redeemer  mourning 
and  weeping  among  the  rocks  of  the  mountains  and  in 
the  dark  places  of  the  earth.  When  Israel  repents  but 
one  day,  keeps  but  one  Sabbath  according  to  the  Law, 
that   day   will  He  show   Himself   in   glory   and   majesty! 

*  Sybiline. 


154  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

And  I  see  the  mountains  red  with  the  blood  of  the  heathen, 
and  the  robes  of  him  who  puts  his  foot  on  the  necks  of 
their  kings  dyed  in  their  blood,  like  the  skin  of  purple 
grapes.  I  see  the  beasts  feeding  on  the  flesh  of  the  slain 
and  the  eagles  and  vultures  sick  with  gorging. 

"  Then  I  see  the  Holy  One  standing  on  the  roof  of  the 
Temple,  and  a  light  as  of  the  sun  at  noonday  going  out 
from  Him  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  Earth;  and  I  see 
the  kings  of  Sheth  and  of  Gog  and  Magog  licking  the 
dust  from  beneath  His  feet.  And  again  I  see,"  and 
the  old  man,  rising  to  his  feet,  erect,  rigid,  clothed  to  the 
waist  with  only  his  flowing  white  hair  and  beard,  with 
both  hands  elevated,  and  gazing  fixedly  upwards  with 
a  wild  gleam  in  his  undimmed  eyes,  presented  a  living  ideal 
of  that  ancient  prophet  of  Horeb,  the  hope  and  expecta- 
tion of  whose  coming  was  in  every  heart. 

"  And  again  I  see  the  city  of  God,  the  new  Jerusalem." 
The  old  man  paused  again,  while  a  spasm  as  of  pain 
passed  over  his  bronzed  face  and  a  tear  slowly  trickled 
down  his  cheek.  "  And  the  Temple,  with  its  hundred 
towers  of  gold  piercing  the  clouds.  Sinai,  Tabor,  and 
Carmel  are  in  the  midst,  and  the  riches  of  all  the  earth 
flow  into  it.  Ten  thousand  thousand  palaces  arise  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  for  the  Angels  build  them.  They 
cut  rubies  and  sapphires  and  topaz  and  jacinth  and  em- 
eralds and  diamonds  from  the  mountains  like  the  stones 
of  Tadmor.  Of  them  they  build  its  walls.  Antioch, 
Damascus,  and  Babylon  are  within  its  walls  and  its  gates 
are  pearls.  And  there  is  no  more  drought  nor  famine 
nor  pestilence.  A  stream  flowing  from  the  mountain  of 
God  waters  the  land,  as  did  the  Great  River  the  Garden 
of  Eden.  The  fruits  also  of  Paradise  are  there,  every 
tree  bringing  forth  each  day  ripe  fruit  forever.  The 
stalks  of  corn  are  as  palm  trees,  and  a  single  grape  yields 
wine  like  a  cask.  There,  by  streams  that  never  fail, 
among  trees  that  never  grow  old  and  flowers  that  never; 


PROPHECY  155 

fade,  the  beloved  of  God,  those  who  keep  the  Law,  abide 
forever." 

The  rapt  fervor  and  earnestness  of  Addi,  joined  with 
his  accepted  character  of  wise  and  holy  man,  made  a  deep 
impression  on  his  hearers  and  he  was  hstcned  to  with 
breathless  attention.  Jesus  and  John  at  the  close  were 
sobbing  audibly,  and  tears  were  streaming  from  the  eyes 
of  Raf  and  Alkim ;  and  even  the  more  stoical  Gamaliel, 
whose  real  belief  in  an  imminent  Messiah  was  very  cold 
and  vague,  felt  himself  lifted  for  a  moment  into  the  region 
of  a  glorious  hope.  When  Addi  concluded  his  rhapsody 
he  withdrew  into  his  cave  and  was  seen  no  more. 


XVII 
DOUBT 

*'  Thou  speak'st  to  me  of  things  which  long  have  swum 
In  visions  through  my  thought:    I  never  could 
Reconcile  what  I  saw  with  what  I  heard." 

— "  Cain,"  Act.  1,  Scene  1. 

At  the  grave  of  Shilath,  as  already  intimated,  Jesus  and 
Esli  had  looked  into  each  other's  eyes  and  become 
acquainted.  A  mutual  desire  to  meet  had  consequently 
arisen,  and  so  at  night  we  find  them  together  with  the 
other  servants  about  the  fire,  where  they  had  prepared  the 
food  for  Gamaliel  and  Raf  and  Alkim. 

While  the  learned  and  pious  Rabbis  were  sleeping  in 
self-satisfied  assurance  that  theirs  was  the  only  true  way 
and  that  they,  above  all  others,  were  the  beloved  of  God, 
these  simple,  struggling  souls,  in  pain  of  doubt  and  in- 
ward questionings,  were  blindly  groping,  asking  them- 
selves and  the  Universe  for  the  one  true  way. 

Jesus  had  told  them  of  Jacobus  and  the  Zealots,  of  the 
bondwoman  and  of  Shilath,  and  of  the  iniquities  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  Temple  Priesthood.  He  did  not  speak  in 
anger  or  bitterness,  but  more  in  sorrow,  with  earnest, 
measured  words.  No  one  made  reply ;  and  after  a  time 
Jesus  resumed,  "  I  came  at  last  to  the  desert,  to  see  if 
hermits  like  Addi  or  these  Essenes  had  found  a  better 
way." 

Jesus  said  no  more  and  Esli  answered :  "  Thou  hast 
spoken  well,  O  thou  son  of  a  believing  woman !  We  of 
the  unlearned  also  have  thoughts.  I,  like  thee,  though  of 
the  dispersed  among  the  Gentiles,  was  the  son  of  a  believ- 
ing woman  and  was  taught  by  her  in  all  the  knowledge  of 
the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  Then  my  father,  looking 
upon  a  woman  he  thought  fairer  than  my  mother,  gave  her 

156 


DOUBT  157 

a  writing  of  divorcement,  as  is  the  law  among  the  Jews, 
and  my  mother,  a  castawa}^  soon  died  of  grief.  I,  a 
young  lad,  became  a  bond-servant  of  Mitra,  who  was  a 
very  rich  man,  and  a  Brahman.  Mitra  was  quite  young, 
little  older  than  I,  and  I  became  his  favorite. 

"  He  had  me  instructed  in  all  the  knowledge  of  the 
Indians  and  in  the  Brahman  religion.  This  religion  of 
the  Brahmans  is  very  ancient  and  goes  back,  as  the  Brah- 
mans  believe,  to  the  very  beginning  of  the  world,  as  with 
us  Hebrews,  and  they  have  accounts  of  the  Creation  and 
of  the  Deluge  much  like  ours.  They  have  their  Rabbis, 
who  are  held  very  holy  and  superior,  as  with  us,  and 
beneath  them  three  lower  grades  who  must  not  mingle 
or  intermarry,  and  the  lowest  grade  like  our  Amhaartz, 
despised  and  avoided,  and  whose  touch  or  breath  is  pol- 
lution. 

"  They  profess  to  believe  in  one  Supreme  God,  and  yet 
by  a  subtilty  of  reasoning  I  never  could  quite  understand. 
Of  their  one  God  they  make  three,  and  call  the  three 
Trimurti,  or  three  in  one.  The  first  they  call  Brahma  the 
Creator,  the  second  Vishnu  the  Preserver,  and  the  third 
Siva  the  Destroyer.  They  seem  to  have  originally  be- 
lieved in  a  common  origin  and  brotherhood  of  all  men,  for 
they  say  that  the  spirit  of  Man  is  of  the  same  substance 
and  quality  as  that  of  the  Godhead,  emanating,  as  they 
say,  from  it,  and  if  remaining  or  becoming  pure  and  up- 
right going  back  to  its  source  at  death.  The  souls  of 
pure  and  pious  men  who  have  studied  and  fasted  and 
prayed  till  they  see  as  in  a  vision  what  they  are  and 
whither  they  go  will  be  reabsorbed  into  the  Godhead,  to 
partake  forevermore  of  His  unspeakable  Peace. 

"  Then  they  have  their  sacred  books,  as  with  us,  and 
endless  traditions.  My  master  Mitra  was  of  a  very  liberal 
mind,  and  though  a  Rabbi  of  the  highest  grade  he  often 
confessed  to  me  that  he  had  no  doubt  but  the  Brahman 
religion  had  been  much  changed  and  corrupted  from  what 


158  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

it  had  been  at  the  beginning;  for  he  said  tliat  originally 
there  had  been  no  Trimurti,  but  one  God  only.  And  at 
last  he  began  to  listen  to  the  preaching  of  a  sect  called 
Buddhists,  who  were  reformers  of  the  old  religion  and 
called  men  to  go  back  to  the  simplicity  and  purity  of  the 
olden  time.  As  I  have  found  since,  nearly  all  of  the  peo- 
ple of  India  were  already  Buddhists,  and  their  doctrines 
are  spread  over  all  the  countries  of  the  East  and  North 
also,  among  the  inhabitants  of  Gog  and  Magog,  and  to  a 
country  they  call  Zipango,  and  to  the  shores  of  the 
farthest  sea.  Their  missionaries  have  gone  into  every 
land  under  the  whole  heaven,  to  Egypt  and  Rome,  and  in 
the  time  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes  and  the  Maccabees  here 
in  the  land  of  Israel  and  at  Jerusalem. 

"  My  master  Mitra  was  at  last  changed  and  converted, 
and  sold  all  that  he  had  and  gave  to  the  poor,  and  liberated 
his  slaves,  for  with  the  Buddhists  it  is  unlawful  to  hold 
slaves ;  and  then  to  crown  all  he  put  on  the  beggar's  rags 
and  went  forth  alone  over  the  icy  mountains  of  the  north 
to  carry  the  new  doctrine  to  hyperborean  savages,  I  know 
not  where." 

Esli  paused,  and  one  of  the  other  servants  stirred  the 
fire  and  put  on  fresh  fuel.  It  was  not  cold  but  the  air 
was  damp  in  the  deep  valley,  and  jackals  were  abroad. 
The  moon,  too,  had  risen  above  the  bare  white  cliffs  and 
shone  upon  the  white  and  purple  and  gold  of  the  Rabbi's 
tents  and  sent  forth  scintillating  flashes  from  the  gilding 
and  ornaments  of  their  equipage. 

No  one  made  reply  to  Esli,  and  presently  he  resumed. 
"  Since  I  came  here  and  have  heard  about  these  hermits  and 
Essenes,  like  Shilath  and  Addi,  the  thought  has  come  to 
me  that  perhaps  these  Buddhist  missionaries  I  have  spoken 
of  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  their  peculiar  ways 
and  doctrines.  The  holy  men  among  the  Buddhists  take 
upon  themselves  the  vow  of  poverty.  They  dress  in  rags, 
beg  their  food,  and  sleep  under  the  trees  in  the  forests. 


DOUBT  159 

They  preach,  first  of  all,  one  only  God  and  the  abolition  of 
all  blood  sacrifices.  They  kill  no  thing  at  all.  They  eat 
no  flesh,  they  drink  no  wine.  They  have  neither  wives 
nor  children.  They  go  about  doing  good,  ministering  to 
others, —  not  being  ministered  to.  My  master  Mitra  gave 
as  the  chief  reason  for  his  change  of  faith  that  these 
Buddhist  beggars  had  changed,  as  he  said,  the  whole  of 
India  from  being  a  land  of  war  and  bloodshed,  of  poverty 
and  wretchedness,  governed  in  cruelty  and  ignorance,  to 
the  most  prosperous  and  happy  land  that  the  sun  ever 
shown  upon ;  and  I  believe  he  was  right.  India  to-day  is  a 
paradise.  I  have  traveled  much,  not  only  in  India,  but  in 
many  lands,  and  I  know  whereof  I  speak. 

"  Rome  never  laid  her  blighting  hand  upon  India,  and 
if  she  had  she  could  not  have  changed  the  character  of  her 
people,  nor  the  foundations  upon  which  their  happiness 
rests.  They  are  happy  and  prosperous  because,  as  my 
master  Mitra  taught,  they  are  a  nation  truly  of  brothers 
and  love  one  another.  Listen  to  the  precepts  that  are 
taught  by  every  Buddhist  mother,  the  first  words  spoken 
by  infant  lips :  '  By  love  alone  can  we  conquer  wrath.' 
'  By  good  alone  can  we  conquer  evil.'  '  Say  no  harsh 
words  to  thy  neighbor;  he  will  reply  to  thee  in  the  same 
tone.'  '  That  which  can  cause  hate  to  cease  in  the  world 
is  not  hate,  but  the  absence  of  hate.'  '  If,  like  a  trumpet 
trodden  on  in  battle,  thou  complainest  not,  thou  hast 
attained  perfection.'  '  Silently  shall  I  endure  abuse,  as 
the  war  elephant  receives  the  shaft  of  the  bowman.' 
'  The  awakened  man  goes  not  on  revenge,  but  rewards 
with  kindness  the  very  being  who  has  injured  him,  as  the 
sandal  tree  scents  the  axe  of  the  woodman  who  fells  it.' 
'  Do  to  others  what  you  would  have  them  do  to  you.' 
'  Conquer  your  foe  by  force,  you  increase  his  enmity ;  con- 
quer by  love,  and  you  will  reap  no  after  sorrow.' 

"  Think  of  a  Great  People  striving  to  live  by  such  pre- 
cepts.    You  may  ask  me  who  it  was  that  began  to  teach 


160  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

after  this  way,  and  when.  I  will  tell  you  the  story  as  I 
heard  it  from  the  venerable  man  who  told  it  to  Mitra. 
Very  many  j^ears  ago  there  lived  in  India  a  great  king, 
whose  wealth  and  power  were  the  fear  and  wonder  of  the 
world.  This  king  had  one  only  son,  whom  he  loved 
beyond  all  else  and  upon  whom  he  bestowed  every  earthly 
good.  And  so  careful  was  he  that  his  son  should  not  see 
or  hear,  or  know  anything  to  mar  or  cast  a  shadow  on  his 
happiness  that  he  surrounded  him  with  guards  and  high 
walls,  and  used  every  precaution  so  that  no  person  or 
thing  that  was  old  or  sick  or  sorrowful  or  in  any  way 
burdened  should  be  so  much  as  heard  of  by  him.  And  he 
made  for  him  palaces  such  as  never  before  were  seen, 
palaces  for  summer  and  others  for  winter  and  still  others 
for  spring  and  for  fall,  and  he  placed  them  in  the  midst  of 
gardens  that  for  extent  were  like  provinces,  and  for 
beauty  were  like  Paradise. 

"  There,  amid  lakes  and  streams  and  waterfalls  were  kept 
every  bird,  beast,  flower,  and  fruit  that  grows  in  all  the. 
world.  The  air  was  heavy  with  the  scent  of  orange, 
jasmine,  and  tuberose.  In  his  palaces  at  command  were 
poets,  musicians,  players,  and  dancing  Avomen  to  amuse  his 
idle  hours,  with  music  to  lull  him  to  sleep.  Added  to  all, 
he  had  a  young  wife  who  loved  him  as  her  own  soul,  and 
whom  he  loved  as  well. 

"  And  so  the  prince's  days  passed  in  blissful  oblivion  of 
all  suffering  of  whatever  kind.  Of  labor  and  toil,  of 
hunger  and  nakedness,  or  even  of  death,  he  knew  nothing. 
But  after  a  time  the  prince  grew  tired  of  such  a  life  of 
dreamy  ease  and  slothfulness,  and  by  some  means  he  es- 
caped from  his  splendid  prison  and  went  out  into  the 
world.  There  he  saw  that  to  minister  to  his  luxury 
thousands  must  toil  in  hopeless  penury,  that  pain  and 
labor,  hunger  and  nakedness,  disease  and  death  were  the 
common  lot  of  man. 

"  Siddhartha,  for  that  was  the  prince's  name,  went  back 


DOUBT  161 

to  his  palaces  and  gardens  a  changed  man.  He  was  yet 
young,  but  the  pleasures  of  youth  no  more  gave  him 
delight.  From  music  and  song  and  dancing  women  he 
turned  away.  The  riches  and  splendor  of  his  palaces  and 
gardens  were  in  his  thoughts  like  a  crushing  burden,  a 
due  but  unpaid  debt.  Ease  and  luxury  wei*e  hateful  to 
him.  Even  in  the  arms  of  his  most  loved  wife  he  found  no 
respite.  The  burden  of  the  world's  misery,  of  the  world's 
wrongs  weighed  upon  him  like  a  prophet's  vision.  Every- 
where, at  all  times,  as  the  voice  of  one  calling,  calling,  he 
heard  the  summons  to  come  away.  It  was  the  Bath  Quol, 
and  he  obe^^ed  it.  Putting  on  the  yellow  mantle  of  the 
beggar,  with  only  his  bowl  and  staff  he  left  all  and  went 
forth  into  the  world,  no  longer  to  be  ministered  unto,  but 
to  minister  to  whomsoever  was  in  need.  From  a  Prince 
and  a  Brahman  of  the  highest  class  he  became  a  Pariah, 
below  all  classes,  a  vermin  that  any  one  might  kill ;  and  he 
taught  a  new  doctrine,  new  in  this  world, —  the  doctrine 
of  peace  and  brotherly  love.  He  taught  that  all  men  were 
brothers ;  that  we  must  love  all  and  hate  none ;  that  we 
should  not  resist  evil,  but  for  evil  return  good,  and  think  it 
honor  to  serve  and  dishonor  to  be  served." 

Esli  ceased,  and  there  was  silence  for  a  long  time. 
Jesus,  sitting  on  a  rock  where  the  fire  light  shone  full 
upon  his  face,  had  kept  his  eyes  upon  Esli  with  a  trance- 
like  fixedness  that  disturbed  Esli,  and  brought  his  dis- 
course to  an  abrupt  close.  In  the  silence  that  followed, 
Jesus  stooped  and  began  as  if  writing  with  his  finger  in 
the  sand.  At  last  straightening  himself  and  looking 
earnestly  at  Esli,  he  asked,  "  Art  thou  to-day  a  Jew  or  a 
follower  of  that  prophet.''  " 

Esli  was  troubled,  and  the  other  servants  looked  inquir- 
ingly from  Jesus  to  Esli  and  from  Esli  to  Jesus,  while 
the  fox,  sitting  between  Jesus'  feet,  looked  up  in  his  face 
and  whined.  Finally  Esli  answered  with  becoming 
dignity.     "  As  I  said,  I  am  the  son  of  a  believing  woman. 


162  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

What  a  man  sucks  in  at  his  mother's  breast  and  learns  at 
her  knee  he  cannot  forget.  A  son  of  Abraham  never  for- 
gets. You  ask  me  if  I  am  a  Jew  or  a  follower  of  Bud- 
dha. I  will  answer  you  this  when  you  tell  me :  Are  these 
Essenes,  Chitsonim  as  you  call  them, —  are  they  Jews  or 
are  they  heathen,  Buddhists,  or  what.f^  " 

Esli  paused  for  a  reply.  As  Jesus  did  not  answer,  Esli 
went  on.  "  I  learned  from  Shilath  when  he  was  with  us 
that  the  Essenes  not  only  profess  to  be  strict  Jews  and 
followers  of  Moses,  but  they  claim  to  have  separated  them- 
selves and  live  apart  for  the  express  purpose  of  more 
strictly  obeying  the  Law  of  Moses,  and  because  in  the 
world  at  large  they  found  it  impossible  to  do  so.  They 
have  so  high  a  regard  for  Moses  that  the  greatest  crime 
known  to  them  is  to  blaspheme  the  name  of  Moses,  and 
instant  death  is  the  penalty.  They  send  gifts  to  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem  and  keep  the  Sabbath  with  a  strict- 
ness beyond  that  of  the  Pharisees,  and  yet  with  all  this, 
like  the  Buddhists,  they  abominate  blood  sacrifices.  They 
refuse  to  kill.  They  declare  against  all  war,  and  resist 
not  evil.  They  believe  in  a  common  brotherhood  and  in 
common  property.  They  despise  riches  and  exalt 
poverty.  Their  rulers  are  elected  by  vote  and  are  sworn 
to  have  no  dress,  no  goods,  no  ornament  or  token,  nothing 
to  distinguish  them  from  the  man  of  lowest  degree. 
They  drink  neither  wine  nor  strong  drink,  and  eat  no 
flesh.  They  are  sworn  to  honor  God  and  speak  truth  and 
to  deal  justly  and  give  freely.  In  all  this  they  act  and 
speak  as  Buddhists,  and  yet  they  are  professed  followers 
of  Moses.  They  study  the  books  of  INIoses'  Law  till  they 
are  familiar  beyond  thought  with  their  contents,  and  yet 
they  profess  to  find  in  them,  and  in  them  only,  the  sole 
authority  for  belief  and  practice  so  contrary.  And  so  I 
ask  again,  are  the  Essenes  Jews  or  heathen?  And  if  you 
shall  say  they  are  Jews,  with  heathen  practices,  as  were 


DOUBT  163 

our  fathers  of  old,  then  I  ask  wlierein  are  they  Jews  and 
wherein  heathen  ?  " 

Jesus  liad  stooped  and  was  writing  again  with  his 
finger  in  the  sand.  The  last  flickering  tongue  of  flame 
had  gone  out  in  the  fire,  and  the  moon,  high  overhead, 
cast  formless  shadows.  From  a  tent  not  far  away  a 
fearful  Rabbi,  awakened  by  a  bad  dream,  was  chanting 
an  exorcism  against  evil  spirits,  and  at  the  sound  the  two 
other  servants  got  up  and,  baring  their  heads,  uttered 
similar  incantations  to  the  moon.  Jesus  ceased  writing 
and  raised  himself  up.  He  saw  and  heard.  Then  he  got 
up  on  his  feet,  and  without  speaking  and  followed  by  the 
fox,  moved  slowly  away  towards  the  desert. 

After  he  had  gone  a  little  wa}',  a  muffled  figure,  not 
before  perceived,  moved  out  from  the  shadow  of  the  rocks 
and  followed  Jesus  at  a  distance.  The  men  watched  the 
two  as  they  gradually  disappeared  from  view  on  the 
desert  sands. 


XVIII 
THE  RETURN 

"  The  severe  Pharisaic,  if  not  Essene  piety  of  his  house,  as  ex- 
hibited to  us  in  James,  the  brother  of  the  Lord." —  Keum. 

We  are  again  at  Nazareth.  Jesus  is  at  home,  and  to 
honor  him  and  rejoice  in  his  return,  Jesus'  brother  James 
and  Father  Sadduc  have  been  invited  to  supper.  Jude 
also  is  still  there.  The  table  is  spread  in  the  same  little 
garden,  under  the  fig  tree,  where  Jesus  took  leave  of 
them  a  long  time  ago.  Mary,  the  mother,  has  scarcely 
changed.  She  is  the  same  busy,  careful,  sweet-faced 
matron  of  uncertain  age  that  we  have  always  known  her, 
while  Doris,  with  restored  health,  has  blossomed  into  a  full 
lived  woman,  in  every  way  lovely  and  attractive. 

Jesus  has  been  at  home  two  days, —  long  enough  to  look 
around  and  observe  many  things.  There  have  been  no 
complaints,  and  Jesus  has  not  asked  questions;  but  he  has 
noted  that  neither  his  father's  Teraphim  nor  his  mother's 
circlet  of  coins  has  been  redeemed,  nor  indeed  any  of  the 
precious  family  treasures  taken  by  Shunam ;  that  his 
Mother  and  Doris  wear  the  same  garments,  now  much 
patched  and  worn,  that  they  had  when  he  went  away ;  and 
that  the  little  garden  is  sadly  grown  up  with  weeds  and 
briars.  Indeed  the  fox  has  found  the  place  so  much  to 
the  liking  of  his  wild  nature  that  he  has  dug  for  himself 
a  hole  under  the  wall  in  a  neglected  corner  and  taken  up 
his  abode  there.  Afterwards  Jesus  learned  through 
Father  Sadduc  and  others  that  Jude  had  neglected  his 
mother  and  sister  and  his  work,  spending  most  of  his  time 
in  secret  missionary  employments  for  the  Zealots. 

Jesus'  first  appearance  at  home,  thin,  dusty,  and  way- 
worn, had  given  a  sense  of   sorrow   and  sadness.     This 

164> 


THE  RETURN  165 

cloud,  however,  had  been  dispelled  by  Jesus'  cheerful 
words  and  ready  helpfulness  and  smiles  and  even  laughter 
had  taken  the  place  of  gloom.  No  one  dared  question 
Jesus  of  his  long  sojourn  away,  and  the  subject  had  not 
been  mentioned.  Jude,  through  his  cousin  and  fellow- 
Zealot  Simon,  had  learned  of  Jesus'  short  stay  with 
Jacobus,  but  with  characteristic  prudence  he  had  imparted 
nothing  to  mother  or  sister,  and  they  all  knew  by  common 
report  that  Mary  of  Magdala  was  still  with  Honorius  in 
Tiberias. 

But  if  Jesus  had  been  silent  about  himself,  and  his 
mother  and  sister  had  made  no  complaints  of  neglect  or 
unkindness,  Jesus  had  been  informed  about  many  things 
that  had  given  him  disturbing  thoughts.  With  fast  fall- 
ing tears,  the  mother  had  informed  him  that  a  "  Chit- 
sonim  House "  had  been  established  in  Nazareth,  that 
James  was  showing  a  strong  inclination  towards  joining 
the  "  Chitsonim,"  and  that  Jude's  irregular,  wild  life,  was 
a  great  trial  to  her.  She  began  to  show  an  aversion  even 
to  the  Zealots,  and  expressed  sorrow  that  her  husband 
Joseph  or  her  father  Joazer  or  any  of  their  kin  had  ever 
given  encouragement  to  such  wild  notions. 

The  supper  was  frugal,  even  to  parsimony.  Barley 
bread  with  salt  fish,  onions,  and  olives  prepared  in  various 
ways  made  up  the  repast.  Jesus  noticed  that  there  was 
no  meat,  no  wine,  no  fig  conserves,  as  in  former  times ;  but 
no  one  appeared  to  notice,  and  indeed,  with  the  exception 
of  wine,  the  fare  was  that  common  to  all  laboring  people 
in  Palestine.  After  supper,  at  Jesus'  request,  Doris 
bi-ought  out  an  old  harp  that  had  been  in  the  family  of 
Joseph  time  out  of  mind.  It  had  been  hid  away  as  a  last 
and  most  precious  relic  of  happier  times,  to  save  it  from 
the  remorseless  clutch  of  the  taxgatherer;  and  with 
strings  broken,  dusty,  and  out  of  tune,  it  was  a  sad  re- 
minder of  their  fallen  state.  But  Jesus  deftly  put  it  in 
order,    and    then    they    all    joined    in    singing    the    old 


166  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

familiar  Psalms  that  mothers  in  Israel  had  taught  their 
children  in  every  household  since  the  time  of  Ezra.  Even 
James  and  Jude,  who  from  bitterness  of  spirit  had  long 
since  ceased  to  join  in  singing,  were  gradually  softened  by 
the  old  familiar  strains,  and  after  the  first  Psalm  chimed 
in  feebly  and  as  if  ashamed  at  first,  but  soon  heartily  and 
in  full  accord.  Tears  were  soon  in  every  eye,  and  Mary, 
at  last  overcome,  cast  herself  on  Jesus'  breast  and  wept 
without  restraint. 

After  the  singing  there  followed  a  long  silence,  which 
began  to  grow  embarrassing.  It  was  expected  that  Jesus 
would  tell  something  of  his  long  absence;  yet  no  one  had 
the  courage  to  ask  him.  Jesus  himself  appeared  not  to 
notice,  but  seemed  absent  and  thoughtful.  At  length  the 
good  Rabbi  Sadduc  approached  him  guardedly ;  but  his 
cautious  advance  was  entirely  superfluous,  for  when  the 
subject  was  broached  it  was  found  that  Jesus  had  no  secret 
that  he  was  unwilling  to  divulge.  His  absent  thoughts 
had  not  been  of  himself  and  his  trials,  but  what  he  had  seen 
and  heard  at  home  was  leading  his  thoughts  away  towards 
new  Edens  and  vast  Utopias  for  which  he  had  yet  no 
words. 

As  soon  as  he  understood  that  some  account  of  himself 
was  expected  he  manifested  no  unwillingness.  To  the 
great  disappointment  of  his  mother  and  Doris,  he  did  not 
mention  his  visit  to  Tiberias,  but  gave  a  full  account  of  his 
sojourn  with  Jacobus  and  his  band,  and  of  his  visit 
to  John  and  Addi,  and  of  the  three  Rabbis  and  Shilath. 
He  told  also  of  the  Syrian  bond-woman,  and  how  he  had 
found  a  home  for  her  among  the  kinsmen  of  John  at  He- 
bron. He  did  not  tell  how  she  had  pleaded  on  her  knees  to 
remain  his  slave  and  personal  attendant,  nor  did  he  at  first 
mention  Esli  and  his  story.  When  he  ceased  with  the  story 
of  Shilath,  all  eyes  were  turned  towards  James,  and  Doris 
cried  out,  "  There  James !  Doesn't  that  give  you  enough 
of  the  Chitsonim.'' "     James  flushed,  and  a  hot  answer  was 


THE  RETURN  167 

on  his  lips,  but  remembering  the  Essene  doctrine  of  kindness 
and  soft  words,  he  answered  mildly :  "  Because  the  way  of 
righteousness  is  sometimes  hard,  my  sister,  is  no  reason 
why  a  true  man  should  shrink  from  it.  Shilath  to-day  is 
sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  God  in  glory  and  angels  wait 
upon  him."  The  Rabbi  Sadduc  shook  his  head  doubtfully 
but  he  did  not  speak. 

Jesus,  with  some  hesitation  and  apparent  misgivings, 
then  told  of  Esli,  and  repeated  word  for  word  all  that  he 
had  said.  It  had  grown  too  dark  for  Jesus  to  see  the 
faces  of  his  auditors,  but  he  knew  that  they  were  listening 
with  rapt  attention.  His  mother  came  and  stood  by  his 
side  and  rested  a  trembling  hand  on  his  shoulder,  but  she 
did  not  speak. 

After  a  long  silence  Sadduc  spoke  and  said,  "  Yes,  I 
have  heard  of  something  of  this  sort  before.  The  cara- 
vans from  the  East  often  have  with  them  men  of  the  kind 
you  tell  of,  and  their  doctrines  are  taught  in  Rome  and 
Alexandria.  Their  professions  and  practices  seem  indeed 
to  be  just  and  right;  but  it  is  impossible  that  they  should 
be  right.  They  cannot  be  sent  of  God.  The  whole  world 
is  without  doubt  to  be  redeemed  and  every  thing  put  to 
rights  in  due  time,  but  God  has  appointed  one  only  means 
to  do  it.  His  chosen  people,  when  reigned  over  by  the 
jNIessiah,  will  do  it,  as  promised  by  God  Himself,  and  no 
other  can.  As  is  said,  '  The  heathen  rage,  and  the  people 
imagine  a  vain  thing.'  " 

"  Praised  be  God,"  broke  in  Mary,  fervently.  "  Thou 
art  still  a  true  Rabbi,  and  speakest  of  this  thing  the  words 
of  truth  and  soberness.  In  these  days,  when  so  many  are 
drawn  away  after  strange  gods,  and  heathen  practices, 
when  these  cunning  Chitsonim  are  creeping  into  every  city 
and  have  set  up  a  house  here  in  Nazareth  at  our  very  doors, 
it  is  time  for  every  faithful  Israelite  to  speak  out  and  cry 
aloud,  lest  we  fall  upon  as  evil  times  as  those  of  Ahab  and 
Jezebel." 


168  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  One  would  think  that  Mother  had  been  to  school  to 
Shammai,"  remarked  James,  gravely.  "  She  should  pro- 
claim herself  a  Pharisee." 

"  Well,  now,  I  don't  know,"  put  in  Sadduc.  "  We 
should  all  be  Pharisees  in  doctrine !  And  I  am  told  that 
all  the  zealous,  goodly  women  of  Jerusalem  are  Pharisees." 


XIX 

FALLING  OFF 

"  An   Idea,  when  it  fills  and   elevates  a   man's  mind,  shuts  it  up 
against  love,  and  crowds  out  persons." —  Jean  Paul. 

For  a  year  or  more  after  his  last  return  to  Nazareth, 
Jesus  remained  with  liis  mother  and  worked  at  his  trade. 
Jude  at  once  took  the  occasion  to  go  off  with  his  cousin 
Simon  on  a  proselyting  tour  for  the  Zealots,  and  James, 
leaving  wife  and  children,  disappeared  for  a  long  period, 
without  giving  any  account  of  himself.  His  wife  de- 
clared that  he  was  with  the  "  vile  Chitsonim,"  and  her 
view  of  the  case  was  most  generally  accepted  in  Nazareth. 
James'  mother  and  sister  were  scarcely  less  condemnatory 
of  the  Chitsonim  and  of  James'  defection,  but  Jesus, 
though  having  now  the  double  task  of  taking  care  of 
James'  family  as  well  as  his  own,  uttered  no  word  of 
complaint  or  censure,  but  excused  and  mollified. 

Skillful  and  active  as  he  was  known  to  be  at  his  trade, 
he  found  steady  employment,  and  soon  the  little  house  of 
his  fathers,  so  long  neglected  and  going  to  poverty,  was 
restored  to  a  degree  of  comfort  and  abundance.  The  gar- 
den was  made  clean  and  beautiful,  and  even  the  old  Tera- 
phim  and  his  mother's  headdress  of  coins  were  redeemed. 

In  being  thus  a  dutiful  son  and  brother,  Jesus  was 
much  commended  by  the  friends  and  neighbors  of  Mary 
in  Nazareth,  and  Mary  herself  never  tired  of  giving  in- 
stances of  Jesus'  filial  and  brotherly  love;  and  yet  beneath 
it  all,  in  the  heart  of  Mary  a  vague  sense  of  fear  and  dis- 
appointment gave  her  many  an  hour  of  gloom  and  unrest. 
She  noticed  with  pain  that  in  many  things  Jesus  was 
neglectful  of  those  usages  and  customs  which,  though  not 
laid  down  by  Moses,  had  bv  ages  of  observance  acquired 

169 


170  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

all  the  force  of  Law.  He  was  not  particular  about  the 
washing  of  hands  and  often  forgot  to  put  on  his  phylac- 
teries in  time  of  prayer;  and  in  his  prayers,  so  far  from 
following  the  set  forms  of  the  synagogue,  he  often  intro- 
duced ideas  and  expressions  of  his  own,  to  the  great  pain 
and  confusion  of  his  mother  and  Doris. 

Then  on  Sabbath  days,  instead  of  attending  at  the  syna- 
gogue service,  he  would  often  wander  away  to  the  hills, 
where  he  had  tended  sheep  as  a  boy,  and  spend  the  whole  day 
in  solitude.  The  hope  and  ambition  of  his  mother  that 
he  would  become  a  Rabbi  and  gain  a  name  and  place  for 
himself  in  the  world  she  found  it  very  hard  to  give  up. 
With  his  well-known  knowledge  of  the  Law,  his  manly 
beauty,  and  his  charm  of  manner,  it  had  been  believed  by 
many  besides  his  mother  and  sister  that  he  would  in  due 
time  take  his  proper  place  among  the  great  and  honored 
Doctors  of  the  Law  in  Jerusalem.  Whenever  he  appeared 
at  the  synagogue  on  Sabbath,  he  was  expected  to  read  and 
expound  the  appointed  texts  for  the  day.  Jesus'  render- 
ing, though  generally  approved  by  the  common  people, 
who  were  the  mass  of  his  hearers,  was  usually  received 
with  black  looks  and  whispered  maledictions  by  the  rich 
rulers  and  Pharisees. 

The  democratic  nature  and  spirit  of  the  synagogue 
finds  no  better  illustration  than  in  this,  that  the  preacher 
in  the  midst  of  his  discourse  was  often  interrupted,  ques- 
tioned, corrected,  and  even  contradicted  by  any  of  his 
hearers  who  felt  qualified  to  do  so;  and  on  one  occasion 
Jesus'  exposition  of  the  text,  Deuteronomy  x,  18,  19, 
brought  out  such  a  storm  of  discussion  that  it  ended  at 
last  with  flying  stones  and  brickbats,  with  many  a  bruise 
and  broken  head.  Thereafter  Jesus  excused  himself  from 
officiating  on  such  occasions,  and  more  and  more  absented 
himself  from  synagogue  services. 

All  this  to  Mary  and  Doris  was  a  source  of  great  sor- 
row and  perplexity,  tlie  more  so  because  the   faithful  at 


FALLING  OFF  171 

Nazareth,  were,  even  more  than  elsewhere,  surrounded  by 
heathen  influences,  and  the  true  Israehtes  there  were  but  as 
a  mere  handful  compared  with  the  whole.  There  was  but 
one  synagogue  for  a  population  of  several  thousand,  and 
the  mass  of  the  people,  then  as  now,  resorted  for  worship 
more  to  shrines  on  hill  tops  and  in  groves  than  to  temples 
or  synagogues. 

Then,  too,  Nazareth  was  a  meeting  place  of  the  high- 
ways of  the  nations.  Three  great  caravan  roads,  one 
from  Damascus  and  the  distant  East,  and  the  great  Roman 
Road  from  Syria,  crossed  and  passed  each  other  at  or 
near  Nazareth ;  and  often  at  night,  when  a  great  caravan 
was  camped  in  the  plain  below,  its  streets  and  wine  shops 
and  houses  of  low  resort  were  thronged  with  a  motley  mul- 
titude of  Arab  and  Persian  and  Hindoo  camel-drivers, 
donkey-boys,  jugglers,  and  peddlers  who  sold  charms,  amu- 
lets, and  Teraphim.  But  besides  these,  with  the  cara- 
vans were  merchants  of  wealth  and  learned  men  of  dis- 
tinction from  every  nation.  The  plain  below  the  Nazareth 
hills  was  a  favorite  camping  ground  for  caravans ;  and 
the  Rabbi  Sadduc,  as  before  noted,  often  found  among 
them  brother  Rabbis  and  other  learned  men,  with  whom 
conversation  was  both  interesting  and  profitable. 

The  conquests  of  Alexander  had  scattered  not  only  the 
Greek  language  throughout  the  East,  but  Greek  philoso- 
phy, literature,  and  religion  were  in  vogue  in  all  countries, 
not  excepting  even  Palestine.  Although  the  study  of 
Greek  was  discouraged  by  the  Rabbis,  their  precepts  were 
nullified  by  their  example,  and  there  were  few  Rabbis  of 
Jesus'  time  who  could  not  converse  in  the  language  of 
Plato  and  Thucydidcs.  IMorcover,  as  shown  in  the  Gospel 
account,  there  were  at  this  time  considerable  numbers  of 
Greek  proselytes.  They  were  mostly  from  beyond  the 
Euphrates,  where  they  had  come  in  contact  with  a  Jewish 
propaganda  mord  astute,  aggressive,  and  unscrupulous 
than  even  that  of  Judea  and  Jerusalem. 


172  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Jesus,  being  at  this  time  a  sort  of  protege  of  the  ven- 
erable Rabbi  Sadduc,  usuall}^  went  with  him  when  at  night 
he  visited  the  caravans,  and  hstened  to  the  talk  of  the 
older  men  in  silent  but  intense  receptivity.  In  this  way 
Jesus  became  acquainted  with  the  character  and  some  of 
the  sayings  of  Socrates,  and  more  vaguely  and  by  more 
remote  hearsay  of  the  life  and  doctrines  of  Zoroaster  and 
Confucius.  Yet  in  all  this  Jesus  did  not  cease  to  be  a 
Jew.  He  failed  not  to  go  with  his  mother  and  Doris  to 
the  yearly  Passover  Feast  at  Jerusalem,  and  with  Sadduc 
for  instructor  continued  absorbing  all  that  enormous  mass 
of  oral  tradition  which  afterwards  in  written  form  became 
the  huge  tomes  of  the  Talmud.  The  Rabbi  Sadduc  made 
glad  the  heart  of  Jesus'  mother  by  assurances  that  her 
son  would  surely  in  time  be  worthy  to  sit  beside  the  Great 
Hillel  or  Shammai  in  Jerusalem. 

Moreover,  as  time  passed  on,  Jesus  became  to  all  out- 
ward appearance  more  and  more  devoted  to  his  mother  and 
sister.  It  was  noticed  that  he  did  not  marry,  and  many  a 
mother  in  Israel  with  marriagable  daughters  felt  herself 
aggrieved  by  Jesus'  apparent  insensibility.  His  noble 
bearing  and  appearance  and,  far  more,  his  conceded  qual- 
ifications as  a  Rabbi  were  attractions  that  were  felt  not 
only  in  Nazareth  but  also  in  Cana  and  Capernaum,  where 
Jesus  was  known.  To  be  the  wife  of  a  Rabbi  was  the 
highest  honor  to  which  a  woman  in  Israel  could  aspire.  A 
Rabbi  was  more  honored  than  a  priest,  even  than  the 
High  Priest,  and  the  wealthiest  families  in  Israel  were 
glad  to  give  their  daughters  to  a  Rabbi  in  marriage,  even 
though  he  might  be  very  poor.  Jesus'  mother  and  sister 
were  not  blind  to  these  conditions ;  if  they  were  disposed  to 
be,  their  neighbors  and  acquaintances  made  it  impossible. 

Father  Joazer  and  Uncles  Zebedee  and  Clopas  were 
ever  ready  with  words  of  praise  for  the  exemplary  and 
promising  son.  Mary  received  all  these  kind  words  with 
assurances  of  thankfulness  and  appreciation,  and  she  added 


FALLING  OFF  173 

to  tlicm  innumerable  instances  of  Jesus'  good  deserving, — 
his  kindness  to  everyone,  his  temperance,  frugahty,  and 
industry.  She  told  how  he  refused  wine  and  meats  and 
lived  almost  like  a  Nazarite,  how  in  leisure  hours  he  had 
improved  and  embellished  the  house  and  garden,  and  she 
showed  with  pride  numberless  little  household  conveniences 
which  he  had  contrived  and  made,  and,  above  all,  the  beau- 
tiful arbor  that  he  had  built  under  the  great  fig  tree. 

To  her  hearers  it  would  seem  that  Mary  and  Doris  were 
perfectly  content  and  that  there  was  nothing  lacking.  And 
yet  in  tlic  heart  of  Mary  there  were  many  secret  and  pain- 
ful misgivings  that  she  dared  not  express.  Her  ancestors, 
in  an  unbroken  line  for  hundreds  of  years,  had  lived  in 
strict  observance  of  the  Law.  Her  woman's  heart  was 
bound  to  it  by  all  the  tender  reminiscences  of  the  past,  and 
by  all  her  hopes  and  aspirations  for  the  future.  To  dis- 
regard the  Law  was  a  sin  almost  unthinkable.  It  was  the 
"  horror  of  great  darkness." 

As  already  indicated,  Jesus  had  shown  from  the  time  he 
came  home  from  Tiberias  what  seemed  to  his  mother  a 
shocking  laxity  in  this  regard,  and  now,  after  his  visit  to 
Jacobus  and  with  John  and  Addi  in  the  wilderness,  he 
appeared  even  more  regardless.  She  had  ventured  on  sev- 
eral occasions  to  hint  delicately  to  him  her  anxiety  and 
disapproval ;  at  the  first  he  had  tried  to  excuse  and  explain 
and  even  promised  to  be  more  observant :  but  at  the  last 
he  had  come  to  listen  silently  to  her  reproofs,  and  to  gaze 
upon  her  with  an  air  so  sad  and  abstracted  that  she  no 
longer  had  the  heart  to  reprove  him. 

But  to  the  good  Rabbi  Sadduc  she  poured  out  her 
plaints  with  less  reserve.  She  told  him  how  Jesus  had 
begun  by  discarding  the  set  prayers  in  a  measure,  and 
substituting  words  and  phrases  of  his  own.  This,  she 
said,  had  continued  till  now  he  frequently  omitted  the 
eighteen  Benedictions,  and  at  meat  blessed  and  gave  thanks 
in  his  own  words.      She  admitted,  in   answer  to   Sadduc's 


174.  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

questioning,  that  Jesus  was  still  much  given  to  prayer, 
but  it  was  secret  and  unheard.  She  had  frequently  known 
him  to  spend  half  the  night  on  his  knees  in  the  little  arbor 
in  the  garden ;  and  once  she  had  found  him  there  in  the 
morning,  sitting  with  fixed,  open  eyes  as  if  in  a  trance. 
About  hand  washing  she  reluctantly  expressed  the  fear 
that  Jesus  no  longer  even  tried  to  pour  the  water  as  pre- 
scribed, but,  as  it  appeared,  washed  only  to  cleanse  him- 
self from  dust  and  sweat,  like  any  ordinary  heathen. 
Then  the  fifty-nine  feast  days  of  the  Jewish  year,  with 
the  many  fasts  and  observances, —  INIary  feared  that  Jesus 
was  growing  too  lax  towards  them,  and  she  told  Sadduc 
what  Jesus  said  about  them, —  that  they  took  two  whole 
months  out  of  every  year  in  which  no  work  could  be  done, 
and  this,  with  the  many  daily  prayers,  journeys  to  Jeru- 
salem, tithes,  Roman  taxes,  and  Temple  sacrifices,  made  it 
impossible  for  a  common  man  who  had  to  support  a  family 
by  labor  to  comply  with  all  and  live. 

The  good  Rabbi,  who  had  himself  observed  a  sad  falling 
off  in  Jesus  of  late,  comforted  the  tearful  mother  all  he 
could.  He  reminded  her  that  though  the  gi'eat  mass  of 
Israelites  were  only  vile  Amhaartz  very  lax  in  observance 
of  the  Law,  they  were  all  the  children  of  promise,  and 
under  such  changed  conditions  as  would  obtain  under  the 
beneficent  rule  of  the  Messiah  all  would  be  restored.  He 
spoke  of  the  well-known  instance  of  the  great  Rabbi 
Simeon  ben  Lackish,  who  had  been  a  robber  in  early  life. 
Knowledge  of  the  Law,  he  said,  was  the  main  thing,  and 
Jesus  in  that,  considering  his  youth,  was  beyond  compare. 
Mary  was  comforted,  but  far  from  satisfied.  There  was 
still  the  lurking  fear;  and  she  had  not  dared  to  tell  all, — 
not  even  the  worst,  for  she  feared  that  Sadduc  would  be 
angry  and  bring  Jesus  before  the  council,  and  her  heart 
failed  her.  And  so  she  did  not  tell  Sadduc  about  the 
phylacteries  that  Jesus  seemed  loath  to  put  on,  and  the 
beautiful  new  tallith,  with  the  heavy  fringes  of  blue  and 


FALLING  OFF  175 

white,  which  she  had  made  for  him,  fit  for  any  Rabbi,  but 
which  he  seemed  to  value  little  and  to  put  on  only  with 
obvious  reluctance. 

She  also  failed  to  tell  the  Rabbi  about  Jesus'  disregard 
of  the  Sabbath,  which  she  felt  was  worst  of  all ;  for  he 
often  went  away  alone  into  the  hills,  far  beyond  the  lim- 
its of  a  Sabbath  day's  journey,  and  even  on  such  occasions 
wore  wooden  sandals  and  carried  things  in  his  pockets, 
both  of  which  acts  were  unlawful.  On  the  Sabbath,  too, 
she  had  seen  him  pull  tares  in  the  garden  and  tie  up  a 
wandering  branch  of  climbing  vine  over  the  arbor ;  and 
only  last  Sabbath  a  Canaanitish  child  had  been  run  over 
and  nearly  killed  near  their  house  by  a  Roman  chariot, 
and  Jesus  had  bound  up  its  broken  limbs  and  carried  the 
child  home  to  its  mother, —  all  of  which  were  unlawful  to 
do  on  the  Sabbath  day.  And  to  tell  the  Rabbi  of  them 
was  to  be  Jesus'  accuser  in  matters  too  serious  for  a  loving 
mother. 

And  so  Mary,  in  tears  and  not  much  comforted,  let  the 
Rabbi  go  away  without  telling  all. 


XX 


THE  CHARIOT  RACE 

"  The  most  beautiful  things  in  the  world  are  done  in  a  state  of 
fever:    every    great    creation    involves    a    breach    of    equilibrium." — 

Re  NAN. 


Our  story  moves  forward  two  years.  It  is  the  birthday 
of  Herod  Antipas,  and  as  usual  he  is  making  it  the  occa- 
sion for  a  grand  fete  at  his  favorite  capital,  Tiberias.  At 
the  great  Temples  the  gods  and  goddesses  have  received 
the  usual  honors  of  processions,  sacrifices,  and  libations, 
and  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  have  been  given  by 
Antipas  a  gift  of  one  hundred  oxen  and  five  hundred  sheep 
to  be  sent  as  a  Temple  offering  to  Jerusalem.  This  gift 
of  Antipas  is  significant  of  many  things.  Perhaps  first 
of  all  it  is  in  imitation  of  Caesar's  daily  gift  of  an  ox  and 
two  lambs  for  sacrifice  to  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem.  Then 
it  is  a  peace  offering  to  the  Jewish  nation ;  and  last  but 
not  least,  heathen  as  he  is  at  heart,  Antipas  would  pro- 
pitiate the  god  of  the  Hebrews,  just  as  he  does  the  gods  of 
the  Romans  and  Syrians. 

Antipas,  as  a  circumcised  Jew,  defends  his  patronage  of 
heathen  gods  by  the  plea  that  of  all  the  kings  Israel  ever 
had  all  but  two  were  forced  to  do  the  same.  Even  Solo- 
mon, he  says,  found  it  necessary  to  sacrifice  to  Ashtaroth 
and  Milcom  and  Chemosh  and  Molech.  Still  further 
against  Jewish  objection  Antipas  urged  that  more  than 
half  of  his  subjects  were  non- Jewish  and  under  Roman 
law  must  be  recognized.  And  so  not  only  were  the  heathen 
Temples  of  Tiberias  given  over  to  impure  rites  and  beastly 
orgies,  but  for  the  common  multitude  a  far  greater  attrac- 
tion had  been  ordered  and  proclaimed  in  sports  at  the 
Amphitheater. 

176 


THE  CHARIOT  RACE  177 

There  were  to  be  gladiatorial  combats,  fights  with  wild 
beasts,  and,  to  crown  all,  a  chariot  race  in  imitation  of 
Rome  and  Antioch, —  but  with  the  marked  difference  that 
instead  of  a  man  an  Amazon,  young  and  beautiful,  would 
drive  the  black  Numidian  coursers  of  Honorius.  The 
great  show  has  been  advertised  for  weeks  beforehand 
throughout  Galilee  and  Judea  and  also  in  the  free  cities 
of  Dccapolis  and  in  the  dominions  of  Philip,  Antipas' 
brother ;  and  the  numbers  gathered  to  witness  it  are  greater 
even  than  anticipated. 

Not  only  Greeks,  Romans,  Syrians,  Phoenicians,  Ca- 
naanitcs,  and  Arabs,  but  Jews  in  considerable  numbers  are 
present.  Many  of  the  lowest  class  (Amahaartz),  regard- 
less of  Levitical  uncleanness,  mingle  boldly  with  the 
heathen  crowds,  and  others,  a  few,  though  partaking  and 
sharing  in  these  forbidden  and  accursed  things,  separate 
themselves  in  supercilious  pride  and  stand  aloof. 

We  will  not  pause  here  to  describe  in  detail  the  "  sports  " 
of  the  day :  it  is  enough  to  say  that  while  they  have  been 
to  the  simple,  untraveled  denizens  of  the  country  most 
wonderful  and  even  amazing,  to  those  who,  like  Sanballat 
and  Hippo,  Eugenius  and  their  set,  had  seen  the  wonders 
of  Rome  and  witnessed  the  shows  and  triumphs  there,  this 
display  at  Tiberias  was  a  very  mild  affair.  Indeed,  those 
of  Antipas'  personal  friends  who  were  complaisant  enough 
to  honor  it  with  their  presence  professed  to  be  bored,  and 
evinced  their  superior  knowledge  and  taste  by  jeers  and 
unfavorable  comparisons  with  Rome  and  Antioch. 

There  was  one  thing  in  the  program,  however,  which 
even  to  these  sated  plcasurc-scekcrs  held  out  something  of 
promise  for  a  brief  glow  of  exciting  novelty.  The  chariot 
race  of  itself  was  a  bold  innovation  of  the  elder  Herod; 
and  now  to  give  it  the  additional  eclat  of  an  Amazon 
charioteer  was  to  elevate  the  sport  far  above  the  level  of 
the  common  hippodrome,  and  create  a  sensation  that  Ro- 
mans themselves  might  share.     This  race  was  held  for  the 


178  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

last,  and  the  sun  was  but  a  hand's  breadth  above  the 
Nazareth  hills  when  a  stentorian  herald,  after  first  blowing 
a  trumpet,  announced  that  the  race  was  about  to  begin. 

There  are  still  some  preliminaries  to  be  executed,  and 
while  the  dead  bodies  of  men  and  beasts  alike  are  being 
dragged  from  the  arena  by  troops  of  slaves,  the  pools  of 
blood  covered  with  fresh  sand,  and  the  goal  and  barriers 
put  up,  we  may  pass  freely  among  the  spectators  and  hear 
what  they  have  to  say  about  the  show. 

In  the  royal  Podium,  where  the  seats  are  luxuriously 
upholstered  and  adorned,  we  find  the  same  company,  with 
some  additions,  that  we  saw  at  the  banquet  of  Honorius. 
Besides  Eugenius,  Hippo,  Nicias,  with  Galla,  Glaphyra, 
Lamia,  and  the  rest,  there  are  now  the  proud  and  haughty 
Herodias  and  her  beautiful  daughter  Salome.  There  is 
Zosimus,  the  Roman  centurion  from  Capernaum,  Sanballat 
from  Damascus,  and  the  Rabbi  Boethus  from  Jerusalem, 
and  Varus  the  Roman  Captain  we  have  seen  at  the  cave 
of  Og. 

All  these  are  the  guests  of  Antipas,  and  sit  with  him  in 
the  Podium.  To  Honorius,  as  the  originator  and  patron 
of  the  Amazonian  exhibition,  conversation  is  now  mainly 
directed.  Antipas  himself  has  graciously  complimented 
him  by  calling  attention  to  the  plain  indications  that  the 
appearance  of  the  Amazon  is  looked  for  with  greater  in- 
terest than  has  been  shown  for  any  other  part  of  the  show. 
"  If  your  Amazon  performs  her  part  with  credit,"  he  con- 
cluded, "  I  fear  you  will  get  an  order  from  Sejanus  to 
produce  her  at  Rome." 

"  Ha,  ha !  "  laughed  Macro.  "  Have  no  fear  of  that, 
Honorius !  Unless  your  Amazon  has  something  to  com- 
mend her  more  than  driving  a  team  of  lazy,  pampered 
horses,  she  will  not  excite  much  envy  in  Rome.  They  have 
plenty  of  material  of  that  kind  to  work  up  Into  Amazons 
or  any  thing  else  they  like." 

"  You  talk  as  If  you  thought  Honorius'  Amazon  were 


THE  CHARIOT  RACE  179 

not  tlie  real  thing ! "  cried  Nicias.  "  How  is  that,  Hon- 
orius?     Come,  tell  us  about  her !    Where  did  you  get  her?  " 

"  Oh,  where  did  I  get  her?  That  is  my  secret.  Wait 
till  you  see  her  on  the  race-course,  and  if  you  don't  say 
she  is  a  worthy  descendant  of  Hippolytc,  then  you  may 
question ;  but  for  now,  wait :  I  say,  wait." 

"  Oh,  we  will  wait,  of  course,"  answered  Nicias,  "  but 
only  think  how  much  keener  an  edge  our  interest  would 
take  at  once  if  we  knew  that  your  heroine  was  captured 
with  arms  in  her  hands  in  the  wilds  of  Scythia  or  Sar- 
matia." 

There  was  a  tone  of  banter  in  the  remarks  of  both 
Macro  and  Nicias,  and  Honorius  was  nettled  by  it,  "  You 
and  Macro,"  he  said,  "  speak  as  if  a  real  Amazon  were  out 
of  the  question,  as  if  there  were  no  such  thing." 

"  Oh,  did  we?  Then  I,  for  my  part,  beg  your  pardon, 
and  will  frankly  explain.  I  have  no  doubt  that  Amazons 
are  plentiful  enough  in  their  own  country,  but  like  Griffins 
and  Chimasras  they  are  hard  to  get,  and  seem  almost 
never  to  have  been  brought  under  bond.  Isn't  that  your 
idea.  Macro?  " 

"  Well,  I  suppose  so,"  answered  Macro,  rather  dubiously. 
"  I  never  myself  had  much  of  an  opinion  of  any  of  those 
creatures  you  mention,  but  I  suppose  I  am  constitutionally 
an  agnostic.  In  tliese  days  a  man  can  scarcely  believe 
anything  he  doesn't  himself  see,  and  not  always  even  that ; 
though  in  this  matter  of  the  Amazons  I  must  admit  that 
the  evidence  is  strong  enough.  Julius  Caesar  was  thought 
to  be  a  man  of  sense,  and  he,  disbelieving  almost  every- 
thing else,  even  the  gods  and  immortality,  believed  in  the 
Amazons ;  and  all  our  wise  men,  both  Greek  and  Roman, 
hold  the  same  opinion.  Not  to  speak  of  old  Homer,  who 
seemed  to  know  all  about  them,  we  have  the  authority  of 
Herodotus,  Plato,  and  Isocrates,  of  Pindar  and  Pausanius, 
for  their  existence.  Yes,  we  are  bound  to  believe  that 
there  are  Amazons,  just  as  we  arc  bound  to  believe  that 


180  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

there  are  gods.  The  evidence  is  good  enough,  only  no 
one  seems  able  to  bring  forward  the  thing  itself,  either  the 
god  or  the  Amazon." 

The  fair  Lamia,  who  had  listened  to  this  discussion 
with  apparent  interest,  now  with  smiling  deference  broke  in. 
"  Begging  your  pardon  for  interrupting,  it  should  be 
allowable  for  a  woman  to  speak  for  women,  and  you  men, 
whether  Greek,  Roman,  or  Hebrew,  are  all,  I  believe,  as 
Macro  says.  Agnostic.  You  believe  in  nothing  whatever. 
Why,  your  grave  stones,  and  I  see  them  everywhere,  are 
records  of  your  bald  Atheism.  I  saw  one  yesterday  here 
in  Tiberias,  such  as  I  have  seen  in  Italy  and  Attica,  deny- 
ing and  criminating  the  gods  and  even  cursing  them  for 
injustice  and  wrong-doing.  You  would  believe  in  Ama- 
zons if  you  believed  in  anything,  for  the  evidence,  as 
Macro  says,  is  perfect.  Those  of  you  who  have  been  at 
Athens  will  remember  the  Amazonion,  that  beautiful  mon- 
ument commemorative  of  Theseus'  defense  of  Athens  itself 
against  the  Amazons;  also  the  tomb  of  Antiope,  their 
queen.  And  there  are  to-day,  as  I  have  seen  myself, 
monuments  of  their  victorious  march  on  Athens  scattered 
all  through  Greece,  in  Megara,  Laconia,  Bceotia,  and  in 
Thessaly.  I  remember  too,  when  a  child  at  home  in  Ath- 
ens, of  going  with  my  mother  to  the  yearly  sacrifices  to 
the  Amazons  at  the  festival  of  the  Theseia." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  cried  Macro,  "  and  Pompey  had  a  lot  of 
Amazons  exhibited  in  his  Triumph,  and  they  were  no  doubt 
genuine,  like  Honorius'  charioteer." 

The  smile  which  went  around  at  this  last  sally  of  Macro's 
was  shared  by  even  the  dignified  Rabbi  Boethus  and  San- 
ballat.  Meanwhile,  among  the  vast  concourse  of  common 
people,  though  there  may  be  here  and  there  a  doubting 
one,  no  skeptic  whisper  is  heard.  A  slight  and  obscure 
knowledge  of  Grecian  mythology  had  at  this  time  pene- 
trated to  every  part  of  the  known  world.  Even  the  most 
rigid  and  exclusive  Pharisee  had  not  escaped  some  inocu- 


THE  CHARIOT  RACE  181 

lation  of  Grecian  culture.  St.  Paul,  himself,  a  few  years 
later,  used  unconsciously  Greek  proverbs  and  expressions. 

And  so  now  the  expectation  aroused  by  Honorius'  an- 
nouncement of  an  Amazon  charioteer  has  grown  to  as- 
sume monstrous  proportions.  Some  of  the  crowd  have 
pushed  out  on  the  race-course  and  a  squad  of  Herod's 
soldiers  on  horseback  are  careering  round  the  lists,  forc- 
ing the  people  back  with  profuse  curses  and  are  not  spar- 
ing of  blows  with  the  flat  of  their  drawn  swords. 

Presently  the  blare  of  the  trumpet  and  the  voice  of  the 
Herald  announce  the  appearance  of  the  racing  chariots. 
It  is  the  first  public  exhibition  of  this  sport  that  has  been 
attempted  in  Palestine.  Antipas,  having  witnessed  these 
sports  at  Antioch  and  Rome,  and  being  ambitious  to  keep 
step  with  the  times,  has  induced  Honorius  and  Hippo  to 
bring  out  each  a  team,  while  he  himself  makes  up  a  third. 
That  elaborate  system  of  betting  already  prevalent  in  the 
greater  cities  is  absent  here.  It  is  said  that  a  great  prize 
is  to  be  given  the  victor,  but  both  Honorius  and  Hippo 
understand  that  the  only  prize  is  court-favor,  and  the 
exhibition  is  to  be  not  so  much  of  skill  and  speed  as  of 
Greek  and  Roman  manners,  and  especially  of  the  Amazon 
charioteer,  who,  of  course,  is  predetermined  to  wnn. 

The  teams  of  Antipas  and  Hippo  are  the  first  to  make 
their  appearance  and  are  driven  slowly  around  the  ring. 
There  is  display  of  polished  steel  and  brass,  gaudy  colors, 
and  tinsel  of  silver  and  gold;  but  the  horses  are  quite 
ordinary.  Those  of  Antipas,  driven  by  a  fierce-looking 
Arab,  show  points  of  blood  and  breeding ;  but  they  are 
far  past  their  prime  and  look  old  and  broken.  Wliile 
these  teams  jog  slowly  past  and  we  begin  to  wonder  about 
the  Amazon,  we  hear  a  great  shout  in  the  direction  of  the 
entrance  and  with  a  thousand  others  hasten  away,  hoping 
to  get  a  near  view  of  the  much-heralded  prodigy.  Armed 
soldiers  are  clearing  the  way  with  blows  and  curses ;  but 
the  excited  crowd  pa^^s  little  heed.     Women,  children,  and 


182  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

weak  old  men  are  trampled  to  death  with  no  one  to  help 
or  commiserate.  Caught  in  the  surging  mass,  we  are 
borne  this  way  and  that  till  at  last,  clinging  desperately  to 
a  marble  baluster  of  the  gallery,  we  are  able  to  keep  our 
place  till  the  way  is  clear. 

And  now  the  great  doors  of  the  entrance  are  thrown 
wide,  and  the  chariot  of  Honorius  appears.  The  horses 
may  well  enough  be  called  Numidian, —  large,  powerful 
creatures,  black  and  shining  as  polished  ebony,  while  at 
their  heads  on  each  side  walks  a  stately  Ethiopian  groom. 
These  grooms  are  also  footmen,  trained  to  run  beside  a 
chariot,  as  did  Elijah  by  the  chariot  of  Ahab.  They  are 
clothed  only  in  breech-clouts,  but  have  head-dresses  of 
colored  feathers  and  large  rings  in  their  ears.  Their  black 
bodies,  anointed  with  oil,  reflect  the  sun's  last  rays  like  the 
scales  of  a  great  serpent. 

But  neither  these  nor  the  chariot  itself,  blazing  with 
color,  with  polish  and  gilding  and  brave  equipment,  receive 
any  attention,  rare  as  they  all  are  in  Palestine.  It  is  the 
charioteer  alone  upon  whom  every  eye  is  riveted.  For  a 
moment  even  the  blase  occupants  of  the  gilded  Podium, 
Antipas  and  his  friends,  cease  their  elegant  gossip  and  fix 
attentive  eye  on  the  unknown  charioteer  of  Honorius. 
That  she  is  truly  a  woman  no  one  will  question, —  enough 
of  her  form  is  revealed  by  the  bare  arms  and  shoulders 
and  the  flowing  Greek  costume  of  an  earlier  time.  From 
under  a  shining  casque  as  of  Pallas  flows  the  dark  mass  of 
her  unbound  hair,  and  the  face,  strikingly  noble  and 
beautiful,  is  surely  that  of  a  woman.  At  her  back  she 
carries  a  Parthian  bow  and  arrows.  With  her  left  hand 
she  reins  her  horses  with  easy  grace,  and  carries  a  long- 
lashed  folded  whip  in  her  right. 

As  she  enters  the  arena  she  turns  her  head  and  her  dark 
eyes  flash  a  quick,  searching  glance  on  the  group  in  the 
Podium ;  but  her  countenance  does  not  change,  and  but  for 
this  momentary  yielding  she  seems  as  ignorant  and  uncon- 


THE  CHARIOT  RACE  183 

scious  of  her  surroundings  as  if  she  were  alone  on  her 
native  Sarmatian  plains.  The  effect  is  profound  beyond 
expression :  those  effects,  often  artificial,  which  issue  in 
applause,  are  here  wholly  wanting.  The  sound  of  the 
great  throng,  which  up  to  this  moment  has  been  a  constant 
roar  as  of  distant  breakers,  is  hushed  to  silence.  There  is 
not  a  whisper  or  a  motion  as  this  vision  of  beauty  and  of 
mystery  moves  forth  with  stately  pomp  into  the  arena.  To 
the  thousands  of  common  people,  ever  eager  for  some  new 
thing,  delighting  in  mystery,  and  credulous  beyond  words, 
this  is  a  real  Amazon,  and  a  wave  of  joyous  expectancy 
runs  through  the  crowd  like  an  electric  thrill.  Even  those 
traveled  Pyrrhonists  of  the  Podium  are  interested  beyond 
their  wont.  Antipas  leads  in  compliments  to  Honorius  in 
wliich  all  join. 

"  This  Amazon  of  yours  is  well  gotten  up,  Honorius," 
cries  Macro.  "  She  would  do  credit  to  you  at  Rome. 
Ca?sar  himself,  I  think,  would  deign  to  look  upon  her  with 
favor.     You  must  take  her  to  Rome,  Honorius." 

Meantime  the  race  is  being  arranged,  and  the  three 
teams,  after  slowly  circling  the  arena  once,  are  brought 
together  at  the  starting  line,  and  carefully  trained  as  they 
have  been  in  private  race-courses,  the  start  is  made  without 
trouble  or  confusion. 

Once  off,  the  human  hive  awakes  again,  and  the  sound  of 
voices  becomes  a  roar.  Expectation  stands  tiptoe,  waiting 
upon  Hope.  But  disappointment  begins  at  once  to  darken 
across  the  scene.  Why  is  it  that  the  horses  do  not  run 
with  any  spirit,  and  the  drivers,  scarcely  better  than  pup- 
pets, show  no  excitement?  Why  do  they  not  shout  and 
lay  on  the  lash.-^  The  Ethiopian  guards,  running  by  the 
side  of  Honorius'  team,  keep  their  places  with  ease,  while 
the  Amazon  driver,  calm  and  stately  as  a  marble  statue, 
stands  unmoved,  making  no  effort  to  increase  the  speed. 

A  feeling  of  disappointment  steals  like  a  chill  wind 
from  Lebanon  through  the  crowd,  and  in  the  Podium  Hon- 


184  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

orius  and  Hippo  have  to  submit  to  some  keen  raillery  for 
the  spiritless  action  of  their  teams.  But  the  crowd  as  a 
whole  is  patient  and  forbearing.  Unlike  the  Roman  pop- 
ulace, pampered,  petulant,  and  exacting  in  the  last  degree, 
this  provincial  gathering  has  no  standard  of  excellence, 
and  scarcely  knows  what  to  applaud  or  what  to  condemn. 
And  besides,  perhaps  the  real  test  and  grand  display  is  to 
come  later, —  at  the  very  last.  They  will  patiently  wait. 
The  small  size  of  the  arena  requires  five  rounds  to  make 
the  goal,  and  there  is  yet  time  for  bursts  of  speed  and 
brilliant  horsemanship.  And  so,  to  the  end  of  the  third 
round,  the  people  watch  and  wait.  Then  a  whisper  runs 
around  that  it  is  all  a  farce.  Here  and  there  in  the  crowd 
are  men,  Edomites,  Zidonians,  and  Egyptians,  who  have 
seen  Antioch  and  Ephesus  and  even  Rome.  They  sneer 
openly  at  this  spectacle  and  rehearse  the  glories  of  Rome. 
There  begin  to  be  murmurs. 

The  Amazon,  now  far  in  advance  of  the  others,  even 
reins  in  her  steeds,  and  the  Ethiopian  footmen  show  no 
sign  of  weariness.  Besides,  it  is  known  that  Antipas' 
Arabians  are  famed  for  speed.  Shouts  begin  to  arise. 
"  Give  them  the  rein,  brother,  and  let  them  go,"  yells  a 
wild-eyed  Ishmaelite  at  our  side.  He  is  ashamed  to  see 
steeds  of  the  desert  so  beaten  and  waves  his  turban  frantic- 
ally. Then,  as  if  speaking  to  himself,  he  adds,  "  Horses 
of  that  strain  never  before  were  beaten  so.  I  knew  their 
sire  and  dam.     By  the  life  of  Ishmael,  it  is  a  shame !  " 

And  now  the  wild  cry  of  the  Arab  is  taken  up  by  others 
near,  and  soon  a  thousand  voices  are  echoing  his  call,  "  Let 
them  go!"  "Put  on  the  lash!"  In  the  midst  of  this 
uproar,  the  Amazon,  still  holding  up  her  team,  has  come 
around  opposite  where  we  stand.  In  her  is  no  excitement 
visible  and  the  calm  majesty  of  her  demeanor  imposes 
silence. 

But  Heavens!     What  portent  is  this!     At  the  moment, 


THE  CHARIOT  RACE  185 

a  tall,  sinewy  figure,  clothed  only  with  a  skin  girt  about 
the  loins  and  a  great  shock  of  black  hair  falling  to  his 
girdle,  starts  out  from  the  crowd  and  with  incredible  swift- 
ness runs  in  before  the  horses  of  the  Amazon,  throwing  up 
his  arms  and  yelling  like  a  demon.  It  is  an  apparition  to 
frighten  the  dullest  day  drudge  on  the  streets,  and  the 
horses  of  Honorius,  rearing  and  plunging,  turn  and  rush 
away  mad  with  fear. 

For  an  instant  there  is  a  silence  as  of  death,  every  tongue 
is  stilled  as  if  petrified;  and  in  the  hush  the  cry  of  the 
wild  Nazarite  rings  and  resounds  in  the  farthest  corner  of 
the  Amphitheater.  "  No  king  but  God ;  no  tax  but  to  the 
Temple;  no  friend  but  a  Zealot."  While  he  is  yet  speak- 
ing, a  downward  stroke  from  the  sword  of  a  giant  Gaul 
who  conies  riding  furiously  up  cleaves  the  Nazarite  to 
the  chine.  But  no  one  notes  or  cares,  and  slaves  drag  the 
body  away. 

All  eyes  are  following  the  chariot  of  the  Amazon.  From 
the  instant  of  fright  it  was  manifest  that  she  was  master 
of  herself,  if  not  of  her  horses.  Almost  thrown  from  the 
chariot  by  the  sudden  turn,  she  recovered  herself  with 
wonderful  agility,  and  now,  erect,  rigid,  with  a  glow  on 
her  cheeks  and  a  wild,  dancing  light  in  her  eyes,  she  reins 
in  and  guides  her  frantic  team  as  if  she  were  born  to  it,  a 
true  Amazon  of  the  steppes. 

Barely  avoiding  a  collision  with  the  chariot  of  Antipas, 
the  next  danger  is  at  the  short  turn  at  the  farther  end  of 
the  course.  Though  the  Amazon  skillfully  takes  the  broad- 
est circuit,  the  chariot  slides  and  tilts,  and  through  the 
dust-cloud  we  see  only  the  plumed  crest  of  its  rider,  the  one 
wheel  whirling  long  in  air,  and  then,  emerging,  on  again 
they  come  straight  for  the  goal. 

A  shout  of  applause  goes  up,  like  that  of  a  conquering 
host ;  surely  the  horses  will  tire  and  the  Amazon  will  gain 
control.     But  again  something  has  happened.     The  reins, 


186  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

tampered  with  by  some  zealous  Israelite  in  the  household 
of  Honorius,  have  parted  in  the  hands  of  the  Amazon, 
leaving  her  helpless. 

A  shudder  runs  through  the  crowd.  Nothing  now  can 
save  her .P  But  yes!  Again  the  figure  of  a  man  darts  out 
from  the  crowd  and  strives  to  grasp  the  horses'  heads. 
Alas,  too  late !  Yet  no !  Barely  missing  the  bridle  rein, 
he  turns  like  lightning  and,  incredible  as  it  seems,  grasps 
the  spokes  of  the  chariot  wheel.  There  is  a  grinding  side 
movement  of  the  chariot,  a  cloud  of  dust,  a  crash,  and  then 
away  the  wild  black  horses  fly,  leaving  the  broken  chariot, 
with  the  Amazon,  safe!  As  she  steps  out  from  the  wreck 
her  eyes  meet  those  of  her  deliverer,  and  so  they  stand  for  a 
moment,  looking  steadfastly  upon  each  other.  Neither  of 
them  speaks,  and  the  Jew  does  not  offer  any  further  assist- 
ance to  the  Amazon.     They  simply  stand  and  gaze. 

Meantime  guards,  soldiers,  and  citizens  come  running 
up,  among  them  Varus  the  Roman.  He  also  gazes  upon 
the  Jew  in  evident  amazement.  The  people,  too,  are  as- 
tonished and  silent.  What  does  it  all  mean.''  A  crowd 
gathers,  and  in  the  press  the  Jew  who  has  rescued  the 
Amazon  slips  away  and  disappears. 

An  hour  later  and  the  word  has  passed  from  mouth  to 
mouth  and  is  carried  away  to  be  scattered  abroad  over  the 
land  that  a  great  sorcerer  has  appeared  in  the  Amphi- 
theater of  Tiberias  and  rescued  the  Amazon  by  a  miracle. 


XXI 


THE  LAST  APPEAL 

"With   consistency   a   Great   Soul   has   simply   nothing   to   do." — 
Emebson. 


Towards  midnight  of  the  day  of  the  chariot-race  we 
may  find  Jesus  again  with  Margaloth  in  the  steward's 
room  in  the  palace  of  Honorius.  Jesus  is  speaking :  "  It 
is  as  you  say ;  I  know  it  may  appear  that  I  come  to  demand 
pay  for  having  saved  her  hfe:  and  yet  I  feel  sure  that 
Mary  in  her  right  mind  will  know  better.  I  came  to  Ti- 
berias for  the  sole  purpose  of  seeing  with  my  own  eyes 
what  Mary  is  and  to  make  one  last  appeal  to  her  to  flee 
away,  and  now  the  accident  of  having  been  instrumental 
in  saving  her  hfe  should  not  deter  me  from  carrying  out 
my  original  design.  I  must  see  her  if  it  is  at  all  possible, 
and  you  surely  will  not  refuse  to  convey  word  to  her  that 
I  am  here." 

Margaloth,  like  all  other  sincere  men  and  women  who 
had  any  conversation  with  Jesus,  had  fallen  under  the  spell 
of  his  personality  and  was  glad  to  serve  him;  and  yet  he 
hesitated.  He  had  already  given  many  reasons  to  dis- 
suade Jesus  from  seeing  Mary,  but  the  real  reason  he  had 
not  yet  given.  It  was  painful  to  him;  and  to  Jesus,  he 
knew  it  would  be  agony. 

But  the  truth  must  be  known  at  last,  he  thought,  and 
Jesus  might  better  know  it  now  than  later ;  and  so  he  said, 
"  My  brother,  I  have  striven  to  dissuade  you  with  excuses, 
but  it  is  better  for  you  to  know  the  truth.  Mary  is  not 
what  she  was,  not  what  she  is  in  your  thoughts.  She  is  no 
longer  an  unwilling  bondwoman,  but  is  now  openly  and 
vauntingly  the  willing  mistress  of  Honorius  and  in  a  few 
days  she  goes  with  him  gladly  to  Rome.     While  we  speak, 

187 


188  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

she  is  in  the  Banquet  Hall  with  Honorius  and  his  friends, 
listening  to  their  flatteries  and  with  heathen  and  harlots 
growing  drunk  with  wine.  Forget  her,  I  beseech  you, 
and  cast  her  out  of  your  thoughts  forever.  She,  and  her 
mother  more  than  she,  has  brought  shame  on  the  name  of 
Israel,  and  let  her  be  accursed !  " 

The  eyes  of  Margaloth  fell  before  the  calm,  rebuking 
gaze  of  Jesus,  whose  sad,  pallid  face  showed  no  change. 

"  Thou  sayest  ill,  my  brother  Margaloth,"  answered 
Jesus.  "  I  was  not  unprepared  for  this.  I  felt  when  I 
saw  it  was  she  on  the  chariot  of  Honorius  that  this  you  say 
was  true;  but  we  must  not  forget  that  she  is  still  our 
sister  and  of  the  best  blood  in,  Israel.  She  is  but  a  lost 
lamb,  strayed  away  among  the  dens  of  wild  beasts ;  we  must 
not  give  her  up  or  forsake  her." 

"  It  is  very  noble  of  you  to  think  and  feel  so,"  answered 
Margaloth.  "  It  seems  impossible  that  anyone  should.  I 
don't  understand  it.  Most  men  in  your  circumstances 
would  seek  rather  to  kill  than  to  save." 

"  Yes,  and  men  trust  to  find  excuse  for  their  hardness  of 
heart  and  even  their  crimes  in  the  law  of  Moses.  They  for- 
get that  Moses  commanded,  '  Thou  shalt  not  avenge,  nor 
bear  any  grudge  against  the  children  of  thy  people,  but 
thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.     I  am  the  Lord.'  " 

Margaloth  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  shook  his  head, 
but  did  not  answer.  But  the  fact  that  Mary  was  in  the 
Banquet  Hall  with  Honorius  and  his  friends  precluded 
all  thought  of  a  meeting  with  her  at  this  time,  and  Jesus 
went  away  with  the  understanding  that  he  should  come 
again  on  the  night  following. 

Even  this  arrangement  was  acceded  to  by  Margaloth 
with  evident  fear  and  reluctance;  but  he  found  it  impos- 
sible to  resist  the  calm  persistence  of  Jesus,  and,  more- 
over, he  had  reason  to  hope  that  the  debaucheries  of  the 
present  night  would  send  Honorius  into  retirement  for  a 
day  or  two  at  least,  and  that  there  would  be  less  danger 


THE  LAST  APPEAL  189 

in  the  attempt  of  Jesus  to  see  ]\Iary  than  on  other  occa- 
sions. 

And  so  again  at  midnight  of  the  next  day  Jesus  is  in 
the  same  private  apartment  of  Mary,  where  we  saw  him 
with  her,  a  long  time  ago.  He  is  still  dressed  in  the  simple 
garb  of  a  peasant,  but  with  hair  and  beard  like  a  Nazarite, 
unshorn  and  descending  in  wavy,  shining  masses  about  his 
shoulders  and  on  his  breast.  And  spite  of  all  his  cares 
and  troubles  he  is  still  beautiful,  and  in  a  way  even  youth- 
ful. At  first  sight  and  at  a  distance  we  would  say,  "  What 
a  beautiful  and  well  grown  youth."  Near  at  hand  and 
hearing  him  speak,  we  would  say,  "  What  a  dignified,  self- 
contained,  and  masterful  man.'* 

There  are  no  marks  of  care  or  sorrow  or  of  study  on  his 
clear,  peaceful  face:  it  is  as  serene  as  a  summer  sky.  Only 
when  we  look  into  the  large,  liquid,  luminous  eyes  (eyes 
like  a  woman's)  do  we  see  the  depths  of  sadness.  His 
nature  is  so  broad  and  deep,  so  exquisitely  attuned,  that  all 
simple,  sincere  souls,  men,  women,  and  children,  find  in  him 
the  companionship  their  souls  seek,  and  most  of  all  things 
desire,  the  complement  of  themselves. 

While  Jesus  is  waiting  for  Mary  to  come,  his  eyes  wan- 
der over  the  room,  marking  with  sad  foreboding  the  fresh 
evidences  of  pride  and  luxury  that  are  everywhere  con- 
spicuous. He  remembers  perfectly  how  the  room  was  fur- 
nished when  he  was  last  there,  and  knows  that  it  has  been 
furnished  anew  throughout  and  more  richly.  India,  Tyre, 
Egypt,  and  Greece  have  contributed  from  their  choicest 
treasures  to  make  of  this  darkened  chamber  a  seraglio  fit 
for  an  Olympian.  Hanging  lamps  are  so  placed  as  to 
bring  into  clear  relief  paintings  and  statuary  that  would 
bring  a  blush  to  the  check  of  any  but  the  most  hardened ; 
to  Jesus  they  seem  like  horrible  blasphemy  and  are  the 
final  word  in  the  indictment. 

It  is  too  true,  as  IMargaloth  says,  there  is  little  hope. 
Turning  away  from  these  abominations,  Jesus'  eyes   run 


190  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

over  the  rich  divans  and  the  tufted  floor,  littered  and 
strewn  with  airy  fancies, —  things  of  virtu  that  a  queen 
might  envy.  Musical  instruments  of  many  strange  de- 
signs, harps  inlaid  with  gold  and  pearl  and  precious  gems, 
tabrets,  cymbals,  and  tambourines,  and  —  can  it  be !  care- 
full3'  laid  away  in  an  open  cabinet  of  exquisite  design  and 
workmanship,  an  old,  worn  lute. 

Jesus  draws  closer  and  examines  it  critically.  Yes,  it 
is  the  same,  and  stringed  for  use,  the  same  old  lute  that 
Jesus  had  given  to  Mary  in  the  happy  days  of  long  ago. 
What  blessed  memories  does  that  old  and  battered  remnant 
of  the  past  awaken,  of  pure  and  innocent  days  of  youth, 
of  song  and  dance  under  the  palm  trees  of  Magdala,  of 
moonlight  wanderings  by  the  shell-strewn  beach  of  Gen- 
nesaret !     O  God !  how  long  ago ! 

For  the  moment  Jesus  forgets  where  he  is,  and  his  hand 
trembles  as  he  puts  it  out  doubtfully  to  touch  the  precious 
thing,  and  tears  wet  his  cheek.  Then  the  glad  thought 
comes  to  him :  Why,  with  all  this  profusion  of  rich  gifts, 
lying  scattered  carelessly  about,  should  this  worn  and  bat- 
tered lute  be  so  carefully  preserved .''  In  the  thought  was 
inspiration  and  hope.  The  strings  of  this  old  lute  should 
be  the  cords  that  would  draw  the  lost  one  back  to  virtue 
and  home. 

While  Jesus  stands  spellbound  before  the  old  lute,  there 
comes  a  rustle  of  silken  garments  and  a  wave  of  delicate 
perfume.  Turning,  he  beholds  standing  in  the  full  glare 
of  a  lamp  —  a  woman !  Spite  of  what  he  had  seen  at  the 
chariot-race,  in  his  thoughts  Jesus  had  pictured  the  simple 
girlish  Mary  of  the  long  ago,  of  the  pastures  and  gardens 
of  Galilee.  Could  this  be  she?  This  woman  of  proud 
and  haughty  mien,  painted,  rouged,  and  bedizened,  at- 
tired like  an  empress? 

Jesus  gazed  upon  her  in  speechless  wonder  and  dismay. 
The  woman  returned  the  gaze  with  a  stony  stare,  and  at 
length  spoke.     "  Margaloth  told  me  that  you  were  here 


THE  LAST  APPEAL  191 

and  wished  to  see  me.  I  suppose  it  is  natural,  after  hav- 
ing done  what  you  did  for  nic  at  the  chariot-race,  that  you 
should  seek  some  reward,  and  I  had  arranged  to  send  you 
a  purse  of  gold.  Here  it  is, —  take  it  with  my  thanks." 
The  woman  laid  a  heavy  purse  on  the  table,  and  went  on. 
"  Of  course  you  must  understand  that  such  visits  as  this 
are  very  improper  and  entirely  useless.  I  trust  that  your 
good  sense  will  direct  you  to  make  this  the  last.  I  shall 
not  cease  to  be  grateful  to  you,  and  by  Margaloth  I  can 
convey  at  any  time  presents  of  money  or  merchandise. 
Hereafter  you  will  please  remember  that  any  communica- 
tion you  have  to  make  must  be  made  through  Margaloth." 

Jesus  arrested  her,  "  Mary."  The  woman  had  already 
turned  her  back  towards  Jesus;  but  she  paused  with  low- 
ered head.  Jesus  went  on.  "  If  I  did  not  know  that 
these  words  and  these  actions  of  yours  were  false  and  arti- 
ficial, if  I  thought  they  were  the  language  of  your  heart, 
I  should  despair.  But  I  see  in  them  not  the  real  Mary, 
the  daughter  of  Abraham  and  of  Deborah,  but  they  are 
like  your  clothes,  your  paint,  and  j'our  jewels:  they  dis- 
guise and  cover  up,  but  do  not  change  the  real  Mary  I 
knew.  I  came  here  to  plead  with  you  once  more  to  flee 
this  life  of  sin  and  go  to  a  place  provided  for  you.  Shall 
I  go  away  without  hope  of  ever  seeing  you  restored  to  the 
fold  of  Israel.?" 

The  woman  moved  away  again  slowly,  very  slowly,  and 
paused  at  the  door  without  turning.  "  Honorius,"  she 
said,  "  has  been  very  kind  to  me  and  has  given  me  all  that 
heart  could  wish,  servants,  riches,  honor;  he  has  made  my 
mother  mistress  over  his  household.  To-morrow  he  takes 
us  on  a  journey  to  Antioch  and  Rome.  Besides,  neither 
my  mother  nor  myself  forget  that  we  are  Israelites,  chil- 
dren of  Abraham.  I  even  have  hopes  that  Honorius  may 
be  made  a  proselyte  to  Judaism.  Such  things  have  hap- 
pened.     Esther,  you  will  remember,  was  a  Jewess." 

At  this   moment  a  messenger  from   Margaloth   entered 


192  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  room  hurriedly  and  announced  that  "  the  young  man's  " 
life  was  endangered  by  any  further  stay  and  that  he  must 
hasten  away.  The  woman  turned  in  the  lamp  light,  and 
with  eyes  that  were  no  longer  hard  and  stony  but  soft 
and  tender,  for  one  brief  instant  met  the  reproachful  glance 
of  Jesus  and  was  gone. 

As  Jesus  was  emerging  from  the  outer  door  he  was 
attacked  by  a  number  of  armed  servants  of  Honorius, 
beaten,  overpowered,  bound,  and  thrown  into  a  secret 
dungeon,  deep  down  beneath  the  palace. 


XXII 
NICODEMUS 

"  In  the  Talmud  is  mentioned  the  story  of  Nicodemus'  daughter, 
who,  after  immense  wealth,  came  to  abject  poverty." — Edeesheiji. 

In  Jerusalem  at  this  time  lived  a  man  with  his  family 
by  the  name  of  Nicodemus.  A  Jew  and  a  Pharisee  by 
birth,  he  was  still  a  man  of  liberal  mind  and  varied  ac- 
complishments. His  father,  a  favored  official  under  the 
elder  Herod,  had  acquired  vast  wealth,  which  Nicodemus 
as  an  only  son  had  inherited. 

In  early  life,  Nicodemus  had  traveled  much  and,  con- 
trary to  the  teachings  of  the  Rabbis,  had  applied  himself 
to  Greek  learning.  He  had  spent  some  years  at  Alexan- 
dria, and  knew  Philo.  He  had  visited  Athens  and  Rome. 
From  Philo  he  had  learned  that  a  man  may  be  a  strict 
Jew  and  yet  be  a  lover  of  Homer,  Plato,  and  Socrates. 

In  Jerusalem  he  was  head  and  center  of  a  small,  select 
coterie  that  indulged  and  cultivated  foreign  learning  and 
literature.  In  part  composing  this  circle  of  friends  were 
Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  the  Rabbi  Gamaliel,  who,  though 
a  Pharisee  of  the  Pharisees,  had  so  far  broken  loose  from 
formalism  and  tradition  as  to  have  studied  Greek  and 
Roman  learning.  Some  Greeks  and  Romans  of  wealth  and 
station  were  admitted  to  this  circle,  and  Pilate,  the  Roman 
Governor,  condescended  to  patronize  some  of  its  leading 
members. 

In  delicate  offices,  where  the  Roman  rule  came  in  con- 
flict with  Jewish  fanaticism  and  obstinacy,  Nicodemus, 
Joseph,  and  Gamaliel  were  even  sought  by  the  haughty 
Roman  as  counselors.  True,  there  were  suspicions  and 
murmurings  among  the  Pharisaic  party  at  Jerusalem 
against  these  Grecianizing  Jews,  but  it  was  admitted  by 

193 


194  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

all  that  their  influence  with  Pilate  had  often  softened  the 
harshness  of  his  rule  and  prevented  conflicts  that  would 
have  been  disastrous. 

Many  concessions  to  Jewish  bigotry  and  fanaticism  had 
been  granted  by  Pilate  at  the  solicitation  of  these  liberal- 
minded  Israelites.  Especially  had  this  been  the  case  in 
the  matter  of  the  ornaments  on  the  Roman  military  stand- 
ards and  some  votive  tablets  that  Pilate  had  set  up  at  his 
own  palace  on  the  mount  of  Zion.  These  ornaments  con- 
sisted mainly  of  eagles  and  busts  of  the  Emperor;  but  to 
the  fanatic  and  suspicious  Jews  they  were  "  graven  im- 
ages "  in  violation  of  the  command  of  Moses,  and  rather 
than  tolerate  them  within  the  Holy  City  every  strict  Jew 
was  ready  to  die.  To  quiet  the  clamor  that  these  things 
had  raised,  Pilate  had  condescended  to  invite  Nicodemus, 
Joseph,  and  Gamaliel,  with  some  others,  to  inspect  the 
objectionable  images,  hoping  through  them  to  convince  the 
people  that  they  had  no  religious  significance ;  but  all  had 
been  in  vain,  and  Pilate  had  reluctantly  yielded  to  the  rep- 
resentations of  his  Jewish  friends  and  removed  the  "  graven 
images." 

But  now  a  more  serious  matter  had  arisen.  In  the  gen- 
uine Roman  spirit  of  utility  and  thoroughness,  Pilate  had 
conceived  the  plan  of  supplying  Jerusalem  and  the  Temple 
with  a  plentiful  supply  of  pure  water  by  an  aqueduct 
twenty-five  miles  long,  to  be  built  in  the  regular  Roman 
way,  with  cemented  rocks,  to  last  thousands  of  years.  As 
the  work  was  to  be  for  the  exclusive  benefit  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  Temple,  and  other  sources  of  revenue  having  been 
exhausted,  Pilate  designed  to  make  such  use  of  the  Temple 
Treasury  as  might  be  necessary  in  defraying  the  expense. 

Pilate  had  begun  to  draw  on  the  Temple  Treasury. 
There  had  also  been  an  accident  in  the  prosecuting  of  the 
work  on  the  aqueduct.  A  tower  of  masonry  at  Siloam  had 
fallen  and  killed  eighteen  workmen,  wounding  many  others. 
The  cry  had  immediately  been  raised  that  the  falling  of  the 


NICODEAIUS  195 

tower  was  a  direct  judgment  of  God  for  the  sacrilegious 
use  of  the  Temple  Treasury.  The  public  mind,  already 
inflamed  by  wrongs  and  usurpations  and  continually  seek- 
ing for  pretexts  for  sedition,  was  now  aroused  to  the 
danger  limit.  Pilate  felt  it  necessary  to  order  an  extra 
cohort  of  Dacian  soldiers  from  Csesarca,  and  he  strength- 
ened the  guard  at  every  point ;  yet,  with  his  experienced 
hand  on  the  pulse  of  the  nation,  he  felt  the  swelling  heart- 
throbs with  growing  alarm. 

Notwithstanding  every  precaution  of  guards  and  proc- 
lamations, there  were  still  secret  gatherings  of  Zealots 
and  Sicarii  in  that  labyrinth  of  rooms  and  passages  under- 
neath the  city,  and  each  night  fresh  placards  were  posted 
on  the  walls,  denouncing  in  most  violent  language  the 
hated  Roman  and  calling  upon  every  son  of  Abraham  to 
rise  up  in  defense  of  God  and  Liberty. 

For  Pilate,  the  brave  and  veteran  soldier,  these  threat- 
ening demonstrations  had  no  terrors,  except  so  far  as  they 
might,  through  representations  at  Rome,  affect  his  stand- 
ing as  an  administrator  and  induce  Tiberius  to  order  his 
recall.  He  knew  that  tliough  openly  and  ostensibly  sub- 
servient and  friendly  the  High  Pi'iestly  families  of  Jeru- 
salem were,  like  all  other  Jews,  secretly  his  enemies,  and 
that  a  cabal  of  Priests  and  Pharisees  was  continually  at 
work  to  effect  his  overthrow.  Excessive  violence  and 
bloodshed  by  governors  of  Provinces  was  discountenanced 
at  Rome  even  by  the  worst  of  the  Emperors :  it  reduced 
the  Imperial  revenue  and  tended  to  enforce  economy  in  the 
Imperial  expenditures.  The  capacity  of  a  people  to  pay 
taxes  was  in  proportion  to  their  peaceableness  and  docility. 
The  Governors  of  Provinces  were  expected  so  to  rule  as  to 
preserve  the  tax-paying  quality  at  the  maximum.  There- 
fore it  was  that  Pilate  dreaded  an  insurrection  and  not 
for  any  fear  of  the  results  of  a  collision  between  his  sol- 
diers and  an  undisciplined  mob,  nor  from  any  reluctance 
to  shed  blood. 


196  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

The  house  of  Nicodemus  is  one  of  those  princely  resi- 
dences built  in  the  time  of  Herod,  who,  himself  the  very 
prince  of  builders,  had  transformed  Jerusalem  almost  as 
Nero  afterwards  did  Rome.  The  oriental  house,  the  reader 
should  bear  in  mind,  is  built  around  an  inclosed  space, 
and  all  its  beauty  and  display  are  confined  to  the  inside  of 
the  building.  The  open  space  or  cloister,  in  residences 
of  the  better  sort,  is  divided  into  two  sections  by  a  high 
wall.  One  of  these  divisions,  called  the  outer  court,  is 
used  for  the  rough  work  of  the  establishment ;  though 
paved  with  brick  or  stone  and  kept  scrupulously  clean,  as 
strictly  required  by  Jewish  Law,  it  was  really  the  barn- 
yard of  the  place.  All  the  domestic  animals  were  kept 
there.  The  ground-floor  rooms  surrounding  it  were  used 
for  kitchen,  store-rooms,  granaries,  and  stables  for  the 
animals.  It  is  also  the  servants'  and  slaves'  quarters. 
The  other  division  or  inner  court  is  beautifully  paved  with 
colored  brick  or  costly  stone,  laid  in  mosaic  patterns.  It 
contains  fountains,  trees,  and  flowers. 

The  exterior  of  such  a  house  is  like  that  of  a  prison 
wall.  It  is  built  of  rough,  unhewn  stone  and  is  high, 
rough,  and  inaccessible.  The  entrance  doors  and  gates 
are  also  like  those  of  a  prison,  heavy,  massive,  and  strong. 
The  upper  rooms  of  such  mansions  were  often  richly  fur- 
nished and  magnificently  adorned.  In  every  house  in 
Jerusalem  there  were  one  or  more  "  guest  chambers,"  where 
Passover  Pilgrims  were  allowed  to  eat  the  Paschal  Lamb 
and  spend  the  week  of  the  Feast  free  of  charge.  To  crown 
all,  in  the  time  of  which  we  write,  the  roof  had  become 
the  characteristic  feature  of  every  house:  it  was  the  as- 
sembling place  for  the  family  and  all  their  guests;  it  was 
saloon,  reception,  and  drawing  room ;  it  was  the  place  for 
music  and  dance,  for  consultations,  secret  meetings,  and 
cabals.  Often  it  was  furnished  with  luxurious  summer- 
houses,  and  fantastic  towers  adorned  the  corners  and  the 


NICODEMUS  197 

parapet.  Rich  awnings  of  blue  and  white  were  spread  as 
a  protection  against  sun  and  dew. 

Of  the  very  best  and  largest  of  this  type  of  structure  is 
the  house  of  Nicodemus.  Summoning  our  Genie  of  the 
Lamp,  we  may  visit  it,  this  beautiful  afternoon  in  the 
Spring  of  A.  D.  30. 

The  street,  like  most  others  in  Jerusalem,  is  very  nar- 
row,—  not  more  than  twelve  feet  wide,  but  clean  swept 
and  beautifully  paved  with  white  stone.  The  high,  mas- 
sive walls  on  either  side  make  it  dark  and  gloomy ;  but  it  is 
very  clean.  No  modern  city  is  so  thoroughly  and  scrupu- 
lously policed  as  was  Jerusalem.  These  massive  walls  are 
the  outside  walls  of  fashionable  city  residences.  If  we 
look  straight  up  out  of  our  dark  alley,  we  can  sec,  twenty 
or  forty  feet  above,  the  ornamented  parapet  with  its  gilded 
towers,  and  the  fluttering  blue  and  white  canopies.  Often 
we  will  see  Jewish  faces  leaning  over  the  parapet  on  either 
side,  and  hear  conversation  going  on  across  the  narrow 
chasm.  The  only  entrance  to  these  gloomy  abodes  is 
through  heavy,  iron-bound,  folding  gates,  with  a  small 
wicket  cut  in  one  of  them  for  foot  passengers  and  for 
common  use. 

Knocking  at  this  wicket,  we  are  admitted  through  a 
dark  passage  to  the  open  space  already  described.  The 
change  is  so  sudden  and  so  great  that  we  are  bewildered. 
From  the  gloom  of  a  narrow  alley,  bare,  treeless,  dark, 
we  are  at  a  step  in  a  sunlit  Paradise.  It  is  the  abode 
of  Peace. 

The  black-browed  slave  who  opens  the  wicket  speaks  in 
low  tones,  and  in  the  brooding  silence  we  can  hear  the 
splash  and  murmur  of  fountains  among  the  clumps  of 
tall  cane  and  oleander.  The  oleanders  are  in  bloom  and 
their  rich  perfume,  with  that  of  orange  and  citron,  fills 
the  air  with  sweet  odors. 

As  we  walk  across,  we  pass  a  vine-clad  summer  house 


198  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

hid  away  among  the  shrubbery, —  with  rustic  seats  and 
luxurious  divans  in  cool  retreats  for  the  weary,  the 
dreamer,  or  the  sorrowing.  Surely  no  Arcadian  bower,  no 
dream  of  far  Cashmere  could  more  entrance  the  senses 
than  this  cloistered  solitude.  We  pause  a  moment  at  the 
marble  basin  of  the  fountain  to  watch  the  swarm  of  gold 
and  silver  fish  that  shimmer  and  sparkle  in  its  crystal 
waters.  A  tall,  white  egret  is  also  watching  them  with 
beady  eyes,  but  they  are  protected  from  his  onslaughts  by 
a  netting  of  silver  wire. 

Going  on  past  the  summer  house,  we  see  a  young  girl 
reclining  on  luxurious  cushions.  The  closed  eyes,  with 
the  regular  rise  and  fall  of  the  scant  drapery  over  her 
bosom,  show  that  she  is  fast  asleep.  A  book  which  she 
was  reading  has  fallen  on  her  bare  shoulder,  and  the  hand 
that  held  it  has  sunk  drooping  to  her  girdle.  Her  face  is 
very  beautiful,  with  all  the  marks  of  ancient  Jewish  race 
and  breeding;  and  the  scant  dress  of  home  and  secure 
retirement  reveals  a  form  of  faultless  mold.  On  her  bare 
arms  are  many  bracelets  of  pure  gold,  while  one  jeweled 
hand,  outstretched,  rests  unconsciously  on  the  glossy  back 
of  a  gazelle  that  lies  contentedly  by  her  side.  One  ex- 
tended foot,  beneath  a  bare  ankle,  is  shod  with  a  light 
Laodicean  sandal,  whose  fastenings  are  of  yellow  silk, 
studded  with  gems.  If  she  should  awake  and  look  up,  we 
should  see  that  the  edges  of  her  eyelids  are  painted;  and 
shining  through  the  heavy  plaits  of  her  long,  black  hair, 
carelessly  drawn  across  her  throat  and  breast,  we  may  see 
the  glint  and  sparkle  of  a  necklace  of  gold  and  gems.  She 
is  Rachel,  the  daughter  and  only  heir  to  the  princely  house 
of  Nicodemus. 

Continuing  our  walk,  we  come  to  a  flight  of  stone  steps 
that  mount  to  the  open  galleries  of  the  second  story,  and 
thence  by  other  stone  steps  we  go  up  to  the  roof.  Still 
shielded  by  our  Genie  of  the  Lamp,  we  may  see  and  listen 
without  being;  observed. 


NICODEMUS  199 

There  is  but  one  person  on  the  roof, —  a  handsome,  well- 
built  man  of  middle  age,  evidently  a  pure  Jew,  reclining 
on  a  rich  divan  under  a  canopy.  He  seems  intently  ab- 
sorbed in  reading,  and  from  time  to  time  lowering  his 
book  and  stroking  his  long  black  beard,  he  stares  vacantly 
into  space,  as  if  in  a  reverie  or  dream. 

He  is  at  this  moment  so  absorbed  in  his  reading  that  he 
docs  not  note  the  coming  of  two  men,  not  even  when  they 
stand  by  his  side.  The  taller  and  elder, —  he  with  grizzled 
locks  and  a  stoop  of  the  shoulders, —  is  Joseph  of  Arima- 
thea,  a  rich  man  and  an  honored  member  of  the  Great 
Sanhedrin.  His  companion,  younger  by  some  years,  short, 
stout,  and  florid,  is  the  renowned  Rabbi  Gamaliel.  The 
two  visitors  exchange  glances  and  the  first  motions  of  a 
smile  play  for  an  instant  about  their  eyes ;  but  their  grave 
and  reverent  demeanor  is  scarcely  changed,  and  when  at 
last  the  reader  becomes  aware  of  their  presence  he  arises 
and  returns  their  salute  with  grace  and  dignity. 

After  the  long  salutations  are  over,  Joseph,  presuming, 
perhaps,  upon  his  greater  age,  and  referring  to  the  book 
his  friend  has  been  reading,  asks,  "  You  seem  so  greatly 
interested  in  your  book,  friend  Nicodemus,  perhaps  I  may 
venture  to  ask  you  what  it  is  that  interests  you  so  deeply." 

"  Oh,  it  is  nothing  new,  friend  Joseph,  and  yet,  in  a 
sense,  it  is  new.  I  am  reading  the  Gorgias  of  Plato,  and 
though  I  have  read  it  before,  perhaps  twenty  times,  I  still 
discover  something  new  in  it.  The  elevation  and  purity 
of  the  Greek  mind  and  culture  at  its  best  is  a  phenomenon 
that  grows  upon  me  the  more  I  study  it.  Did  you  ever 
think  of  it.  Rabbi  Gamaliel,  that  the  flowering  time  of 
the  Greek  mind  seems  to  have  followed  hard  upon  the  de- 
cline and  extinction  of  the  prophetic  office  in  the  Jewish 
nation?  That  grand  triad  of  Greeks,  Hippocrates, 
Anaxagoras  and  Socrates,  came  immediately  upon  the 
world's  stage  after  our  own  Malachi." 

"  I  do  not  now  recall  any  reference  to  it  in  either  the 


200  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Midrash  or  the  Haggada,"  answered  Gamaliel,  thought- 
fully. "  But  the  idea,  even  if  new,  is  worth  considering. 
Your  thought  would  be  that  God  never  leaves  His  world 
without  someone,  in  some  way,  to  speak  for  Him.  This  is 
no  doubt  true,  but  to  us  as  Jews  it  is  hardly  admissible 
that  the  prophetic  office  should  ever  in  any  case  or  sense 
belong  or  pass  to  the  heathen.  You  couldn't  go  as  far  as 
that,  brother  Nicodemus ;  that  is  beyond  even  Philo  and  his 
Alexandrians." 

Nicodemus  did  not  answer  immediately,  and  in  the  mean- 
time Joseph  took  up  the  book  Nicodemus  had  laid  down 
and  began  looking  through  it  carefully.  At  length  Nico- 
demus, with  slow  deliberation,  began  his  answer.  "  There 
seem  to  have  been  no  prophets  among  the  Greeks,  not  like 
ours  at  least.  Their  sorcerers  and  soothsayers  were  pure 
heathen,  and  their  oracles  too, —  though  that  at  Delphi  is 
not  so  easily  disposed  of.  But  their  great  men  seem  to 
me  to  have  been  earnest  seekers  after  truth,  even  like  our 
own  prophets,  and  I  sometimes  think  were  really  informed 
of  God  as  well  as  they." 

"  That  God  has  visited  heathen  nations  is  no  doubt 
true,"  answered  Gamaliel.  "  Melchizedek  was  a  Jebusite, 
and  Poti-pherah,  priest  of  On,  whose  daughter  our  father 
Joseph  married,  is  believed  to  have  been  like  Melchizedek 
a  priest  of  the  Most  High  God;  but  these  are  to  be  re- 
garded only  as  intimations,  invitations  at  most,  to  the 
heathen  to  come  into  the  fold  of  Israel  and  join  with  us  in 
the  true  worship  of  Jehovah.  We  must  remember  that  no 
other  people  or  nation  ever  had  its  Red  Sea  or  its  Sinai. 
No  other  has  the  Law  or  the  Prophets." 

Here  Joseph,  begging  pardon  for  interrupting,  asks 
to  read  a  passage  from  the  book  Nicodemus  had  put  down. 
"  I  happened  to  open,"  he  said,  "  on  that  passage  where 
Socrates  is  trying  to  convince  Gorgias  and  the  others  that 
it  is  better  for  a  man  to  suffer  punishment  for  his  sins 
than  to  escape  punishment ;  that  it  is  also  better  for  him 


NICODEMUS  201 

to  suffer  injustice  than  to  commit  injustice:  but  here  he 
goes  even  further.      I  will  read. 

"  '  Be  persuaded,  then,  by  me,  and  follow  me  to  that 
place  where,  when  3'ou  have  reached  it,  you  shall  live  in 
happiness,  both  in  life  and  after  death.  .  .  .  And  let 
whosoever  will  despise  you  as  a  fool  and  maltreat  you,  if 
he  wish :  yea,  hy  Zeus,  and  cheerfully  let  him  deal  you  that 
insulting  blow,  for  no  evil  will  come  upon  you  if  you  be 
truly  good  and  upright  and  abide  in  the  practice  of 
virtue.'  " 

Joseph  laid  down  the  book,  and  after  a  suitable  pause 
went  on :  "I  do  not  recall  a  precept  of  any  of  our  Rabbis 
that  is  fully  up  to  this,  do  you.  Rabbi  Gamaliel .?  " 

"  None  precisely  the  same,"  answered  Gamaliel,  "  though 
there  are  some  very  similar,  as  you  will  remember.  Hillel 
said,  '  What  is  hateful  to  thee,  that  do  not  to  another.' 
This  he  said  is  the  whole  Law.  And  Rabbi  Akiba  taught 
that  Leviticus  xix,  18  is  the  one  rule  of  Life;  and  many 
other  of  our  Rabbis  have  held  more  or  less  strictly  by  this 
doctrine." 

"  Yes,  our  Rabbis  have  given  us  some  very  noble  pre- 
cepts," interrupted  Nicodemus ;  "  but  have  any  of  them 
themselves  lived  up  to  their  teachings.''  In  studjdng  the 
life  of  Socrates  I  have  been  very  forcibly  struck  with  this 
idea,  that  he  lived  what  he  preached  and  cheerfully  died 
to  vindicate  what  he  taught.  Now  I  am  like  you,  brother 
Gamaliel,  in  believing  that  salvation  must  come  through 
Israel,  and  that  Jerusalem  shall  be,  as  our  holy  prophets 
have  said,  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  House,  and  that  all 
nations  shall  flow  into  it.  But  do  you  not  believe  that  this 
idea,  too  much  dwelt  upon,  may  be  hurtful  to  us?  " 

At  this  moment  a  servant  brought  word  that  Varus,  who 
was  now  chief  captain  of  the  Roman  Guard  at  Jerusalem, 
was  at  the  gate,  asking  admittance. 

"  Show  him  up  at  once,"  was  the  order  of  Nicodemus 
to  the  servant ;  then,  turning  to  Gamaliel,  he  added,  "  He 


202  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

comes,  doubtless,  as  a  messenger  from  Pilate;  this  trouble 
about  the  aqueduct  is  growing  very  serious.  We  must 
exert  ourselves  or  there  will  be  an  uprising,  and  terrible 
times." 

Joseph  put  aside  the  book,  and  with  stem,  anxious  faces 
the  three  men  awaited  the  coming  of  Varus. 

The  Roman  Captain  was  not  unknown  at  the  house  of 
Nicodemus.  The  first  day  of  his  coming  to  Jerusalem 
as  Captain  he  had  seen  Rachel,  and  had  fallen  violently 
in  love  with  her,  and  was  now  openly  a  suitor  for  her  hand. 
This,  together  with  circumstances  already  related,  had 
much  softened  the  feelings  of  the  haughty  Roman  towards 
the  Jews,  and  so,  with  his  high  official  position  and  also 
as  a  man  of  good  family  in  Rome,  he  had  come  to  be 
received  at  the  house  of  Nicodemus  with  confidence  and 
respect. 

With  characteristic  brevity,  Varus  made  short  work  of 
the  long  salutations  that  were  habitual  to  the  Jews,  and 
proceeded  at  once  to  business. 

"  I  am  come,"  he  said,  "  at  command  of  the  noble 
Pilate,  to  confer  with  you  about  the  seditious  movement 
which  has  been  started  here  in  Jerusalem,  about  the  Temple 
Treasure  and  the  aqueduct.  I  do  not  need  to  tell  you  that 
his  excellency  the  Governor  has  nearly  lost  all  patience  with 
these  people,  and  his  orders  to  me  this  morning  were  to 
cut  them  down  without  mercy ;  but  his  wife  and  I  pre- 
vailed on  him  to  wait  and  stay  his  hand  for  a  time.  But, 
begging  your  pardon,  I  must  say  that  your  people  are 
in  this  very  unreasonable.  This  aqueduct  is  very  much 
needed,  as  you  all  admit,  for  the  good  of  the  city  and  even 
necessary  for  your  Temple.  The  lack  of  plenty  of  pure 
water  is  making  your  Temple  sacrifices  a  menace  to  the 
health  of  the  city ;  and  yet  listen  to  the  outcry  against  any 
relief. 

"  Pilate  cannot  stir  abroad  but  he  is  fairly  mobbed, 
and  he  has  to  harken  to  insulting  cries  and  epithets  from 


NICODEMUS  203 

the  lowest  of  the  people.  Then  the  falling  of  the  tower 
at  Siloam,  that  so  much  has  been  made  of,  I  personally 
investigated,  and  can  say  positively  that  it  was  the  Jewish 
overseer  of  the  work  who  was  wholly  to  blame,  and  only 
eight  of  the  eighteen  killed  were  Jews.  The  other  ten 
were  Greeks  and  Syrians.  Now  of  course  this  is  a  very 
unpleasant  state  of  things,  and  I  do  not  willingly  trouble 
you  honorable  men  with  it;  but  you  see  how  it  is.  I  will 
have  to  execute  the  Governor's  order. 

"  Tomorrow  is  a  feast  day  with  you,  and  there  will 
be  a  great  crowd  of  your  people  here  in  Jerusalem,  and 
knowing  what  I  do  I  am  certain  that  there  will  be  much 
blood  shed  unless  something  is  done  to  prevent  it.  Per- 
haps you  do  not  know  it,  but  our  spies  have  given  us 
certain  intelligence  that  Barabbas  and  other  emissaries  of 
the  Zealots,  and  perhaps  Jacobus  himself,  are  here  in  Je- 
rusalem, stirring  up  the  people;  and  3'ou  will  readily  see 
that  if  these  leaders  could  be  taken  and  disposed  of,  it 
would  probably  save  many  lives." 

Varus  paused  and  silence  was  at  first  the  only  answer. 
The  three  Jews  did  not  change  countenance  or  make  any 
visible  sign.  At  length  Nicodemus  answered.  "  You 
would  not  intimate  that  we  have  any  communication  with 
the  men  you  speak  of,  Barabbas  or  Jacobus,  and  so  what 
can  we  do .''     What  do  you  advise  us  to  do  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  have  no  advice  to  offer ;  it  would  be  presumption 
in  me  to  do  so.  I  simply  give  you  the  facts ;  I  must  leave 
you  to  act  upon  them  as  you  see  fit." 

"  Has  anything  been  said  to  Caiaphas,  our  High  Priest, 
or  to  Annas.?  "  asked  Gamaliel. 

"  They  have  received  the  same  notice  that  I  have  given 
you,"  answered  Varus,  "  but  nothing  will  come  of  that. 
We  understand  well  enough  that  the  house  of  Annas  is 
unfriendly  to  the  Zealots,  and  would  gladly  see  them  wiped 
out  with  Roman  swords." 

Again  Nicodemus.     "  It  is  doubtful  if  we  can  do  much 


204  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

to  allay  this  excitement  among  our  people  but  we  will 
do  what  we  can;  and  in  any  case  we  would  have  you  to 
know  that  your  kindness  in  doing  as  you  have  is  ap- 
preciated and  will  be  remembered.  I  think  we  can  promise 
that  the  multitude  in  the  streets  to-morrow  will  not  be 
armed,  and  I  will  suggest  this  for  you  to  do:  let  your 
soldiers  be  disguised  as  Jews,  with  good  stout  clubs  con- 
cealed under  their  abas.  Let  them  mix  with  the  crowd  of 
Pilgrims,  and  if  they  attempt  any  mob-violence  let  your 
soldiers  fall  upon  them  with  their  clubs,  and  I  think  that 
will  end  it  as  well  as  the  use  of  your  swords." 

The  Roman  Captain  smiled  grimly  at  this  suggestion 
of  Nicodemus,  and  after  promising  that  he  would  com- 
mend the  same  to  Pilate,  withdrew  without  ceremony. 


XXIII 
THE  PLOTTERS 

"There  was  an  underground  Jerusalem  also,  which  burrowed  every- 
where under  the  city,  under  the  Temple,  beyond  the  city  walls." — 
Edebsheim. 

When,  forty  years  after  the  events  we  are  recording, 
Jerusalem  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans,  it  was  found, 
what  had  long  been  suspected,  that  there  existed  an  under- 
ground city  of  Jerusalem,  of  vast  extent,  with  passages 
and  places  of  exit  far  beyond  the  walls.  In  this  sub- 
terranean city  from  the  time  of  the  elder  Herod,  the 
Zealots,  who  were  never  without  some  sort  of  organization, 
had  made  an  arsenal  and  a  rallying  point. 

It  is  the  night  succeeding  the  meeting  of  Gamaliel, 
Nicodemus,  and  Joseph  with  Varus.  In  one  of  these  deep 
apartments  underneath  the  Temple  area  is  assembled  a 
company  of  Zealots.  Barabbas  is  here,  with  Mcnahem  and 
Simon  and  Eleazer,  the  brothers  of  Jacobus.  It  is  feared 
that  Jacobus  himself,  with  his  giant  stature  and  striking 
appearance,  cannot  so  disguise  himself  as  to  escape  notice 
in  Jerusalem,  where  the  emissaries  of  Rome  are  constantly 
on  the  watch;  and  so  he  has  been  persuaded  to  remain 
away. 

The  room  is  of  considerable  size,  and  there  are  perhaps 
a  hundred  men  present.  It  is  the  night  of  the  Passover, 
and  the  Paschal  Supper  has  been  solemnly  prepared  and 
eaten  here.  The  prescribed  prayers  have  been  said  and 
the  Psalms  sung. 

Thronging  in  and  about  Jerusalem  are  from  two  to 
three  millions  of  zealous  Jews,  come  here  to  celebrate  this 
feast  from  all  parts  of  the  known  world.     To  every  one 

205 


206  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

of  them  the  mere  presence  of  the  heathen  Romans  in  the 
Holy  City  is  an  offense  that  always  and  ever  stirs  the 
fountains  of  deepest  feeling;  and  now  the  abominable 
heathen  has  laid  sacrilegious  hands  on  the  sacred  Treasure 
of  the  Temple,  the  Treasure  that  is  "  Corban,"  dedicated 
to  God:  shall  this  be  longer  borne,  and  with  five  hundred 
thousand  sons  of  Abraham  in  call,  capable  of  bearing  arms? 

This  is  the  question  that  these  hundred  men  are  con- 
sidering. The  place  is  lighted  by  torches,  whose  lurid 
glare  illumines  forms  and  faces  that  startle  us.  Dark, 
fierce,  wild  features,  lined  and  furrowed  by  care  and  suf- 
fering, and  framed  in  black  masses  of  long,  uncombed 
hair,  they  need  no  spokesman  or  expositor.  Well  may 
even  mighty  Rome  pause  and  draw  back  before  she  drives 
a  nation  of  such  men  to  despair. 

It  is  near  midnight  before  the  supper  is  ended,  and  all 
the  rites  performed.  At  that  hour  a  messenger  from 
Nicodemus  is  brought  into  the  assembly.  Barabbas  ex- 
plains to  them  that  Nicodemus  is  a  secret  friend  of  the 
Zealots,  and  that  his  messenger  is  to  be  trusted ;  whereupon 
the  messenger  proceeds  to  represent  the  futility  of  any 
present  outbreak,  because  of  the  overwhelming  power  of 
the  Roman  soldiery,  and  advises  that  if  they  do  any  thing 
at  all  it  should  be  simply  to  make  petition  and  outcry,  as 
had  been  done  in  the  case  of  the  standards  and  the  votive 
offerings,  when  Pilate  had  been  worn  out  by  continual 
clamor  and  had  at  last  yielded  to  the  popular  demand. 

To  Barabbas,  Menahem,  and  the  leaders  generally,  it 
had  all  along  appeared  that  the  cause  Avas  not  yet  ripe, 
and  they  signified  their  acquiescence  in  the  policy  recom- 
mended by  Nicodemus ;  but  there  were  dark  frowning 
faces  not  a  few,  in  which  the  implacable  old  Maccabean 
spirit  shone  forth  with  a  distinctness  not  to  be  mistaken. 
The  messenger  of  Nicodemus  had  hardly  ceased  speaking 
when  one  of  these,  Ehud  by  name,  a  man  of  middle  age, 
with  a  visage  seamed  and  drawn  by  scars  of  old  wounds, 


THE  PLOTTERS  207 

sprang  to  his  feet  and  with  wild  gestures  and  almost 
screaming  with  passion,  thus  addressed  them: 

"  Away  with  such  counsels !  By  the  Holy  City  of  God, 
I  say  away  with  it!  Who  are  these  you  call  our  friends 
and  who  give  this  cowardly  advice?  Nicodemus,  you  say, 
is  a  rich  and  powerful  Rabbi.  And  Joseph  and  Gamaliel, 
too,  you  say,  have  influence  with  Pilate  the  Roman  Gov- 
ernor. God  of  my  fathers !  What  more  do  we  need  to 
know !  What  is  Rome  to-day,  if  not  the  binding  together 
of  the  rich  to  make  slaves  of  the  poor.  There  is  not  in 
all  Rome's  broad  domain  a  rich  man  upon  whose  heart  is 
not  graven  the  image  of  her  abominations,  the  foul  bird 
of  prey, —  not  one  whose  knees  do  not  bow  down  to  her 
and  whose  mouth  does  not  kiss  her.  There  is  no  middle 
ground  in  this  controversy.  He  that  is  not  for  us  is 
against  us !  Down  with  all  intermediaries.  In  the  end, 
they  will  be  found  against  us.  What  rich  man  is  there 
among  you  who  is  not  the  owner  of  slaves !  What  one  of 
them  all  can  lay  his  hand  upon  the  altar  of  God  and  say, 
*  No  Lord  but  Jehovah,  no  tax  but  to  the  Temple,  no 
friend  but  a  Zealot.' 

"  And  what  does  this  our  war-cry  mean,  if  not  the 
destruction  of  all  human  government  and  the  Brother- 
hood of  Man?  We  say,  '  Call  no  man  Master,  One  alone 
is  Master,  even  God.'  Do  you  believe  this?  I  ask  it  of 
yow,  the  spokesman  of  Nicodemus,  of  you,  Menahem 
and  Simon  and  Eleazer,  the  sons  of  the  murdered 
Judas,  of  you,  Barabbas.  Do  you  believe  what  you 
say?  As  a  man  believes,  so  is  he.  What  we  sincerely 
believe  we  act.  And  what  is  Rome,  that  she  should  rule 
Israel  and  invade  with  her  uncleanness  the  Temple  of  the 
Most  High  God ! 

"  Listen :  I  was  born  a  Galilean  of  the  city  of  Sepphoris. 
My  father  and  brother  and  I  fought  under  Judas,  the 
father  of  Jacobus,  of  Simon,  Menahem,  and  Eleazer. 
When  Sepphoris  was  taken  and  destroyed  by  Varus,  the 


208  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Governor  of  Syria,  my  father,  with  many  others,  was 
crucified  by  the  Romans.  His  d^ang  words  to  me  were 
hke  those  of  the  old  Maccabean :  '  Cease  not  to  be  a 
Zealot,  my  son,  and  fear  nothing  but  God.' 

"  I,  with  my  mother  and  sisters  and  thousands  of  others, 
was  sent  in  chains  to  Rome  as  slaves.  Of  my  mother  and 
sisters  I  lost  all  trace:  they  were  swallowed  up.  I  became 
the  property  of  a  Roman  Senator, —  one  of  his  household. 
By  years  of  labor,  pain,  and  self-denial  beyond  what 
tongue  can  tell,  I  purchased  my  freedom.  Like  a  bird 
let  loose  from  its  cage,  I  sought  the  land  of  my  birth. 
I  had  not  forgotten.  The  land  of  my  fathers  was  still 
dear  to  me.     More  than  ever  was  I  a  Zealot. 

"  I  had  engaged  to  work  my  passage  by  ship  to 
Csesarea.  Then,  with  thousands  of  other  Jewish  freedmen 
of  Rome,  I  was  seized  and  put  on  shipboard,  and  sent 
to  fight  other  slaves  who  had  made  insurrection  in  Sardinia. 
At  the  same  time  all  the  Jews  in  Rome  were  banished  by 
Tiberias,  and  all  their  property  confiscated.  On  ship- 
board we  were  nailed  in  under  hatches  like  swine.  The 
horrors  of  that  passage  I  cannot  find  words  to  tell.  Many 
died,  and  were  left  to  rot. 

"  Landed  in  Sardinia,  we  were  supplied  with  nothing 
but  arms.  Clothes,  food,  and  shelter  we  must  wrest  from 
the  enemy  or  go  without.  Sardinia  is  owned  by  a  few 
rich  men  of  Rome,  who  never  visit  it,  and  there  are  no 
laborers  but  slaves, —  slaves  from  every  land  under  heaven. 
Some  of  the  estates  there  have  twenty  thousand  slaves. 
We  few  thousand  Jewish  freedmen  could  do  nothing 
against  them.  Many  joined  the  insurgents,  others  lay 
down  and  died,  and  still  others  were  scourged  to  death  by 
Roman  taskmasters.  We  dwindled  and  disappeared.  So 
far  as  I  know,  I  only  am  escaped  to  tell  the  story,  and  my 
scars  speak  for  me.  And  still  there  be  some  that  say, 
*  Roman  Government  is  good,  better  than  God's  Govern- 
ment.'    May  God  smite  him  dead   who  says  so. 


THE  PLOTTERS  209 

"  As  I  said^  I  was  for  years  in  the  household  of  a 
Roman  Senator ;  my  eyes  and  ears  were  open ;  I  saw  and 
heard.  The  best  of  Rome  is  vile  as  Sodom.  Her  chief 
men  and  even  her  Philosophers  are  addicted  to  unnatural 
crime,  and  use  their  learning  to  defend  its  practice.  Mar- 
riage is  only  a  sham.  Even  women  of  the  noblest  families 
are  open  harlots.  Their  gods  are  like  themselves,  and  I 
have  heard  men  pray  in  their  Temples  and  offer  gifts  for 
the  satisfaction  of  unnatural  lusts  and  for  the  death  of  rich 
relatives ;  and  then  I  have  heard  them  curse  and  revile 
their  gods  when  their  prayers  were  not  granted.  Let  no 
man  tell  me  that  Rome  should  rule  over  the  People  of  God. 

"  Dost  thou  not  believe  the  Prophets?  '  And  the  fourth 
beast,'  says  the  prophet  Daniel,  '  shall  be  the  fourth  king- 
dom upon  earth,  which  shall  be  diverse  from  all  kingdoms, 
and  shall  devour  the  whole  earth,  and  shall  tread  it  down 
and  break  it  in  pieces.'  '  And  this  kingdom,'  he  says, 
'  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High,  whose  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom.'  Where 
is  the  vile,  knee-crooking  slave  of  Rome  who  dares  gain- 
say this !  And  behold,  do  not  all  men  know  that  the  time 
is  at  hand.?  The  seventy  weeks  of  the  prophet  Daniel  are 
now  ended  and  the  Messiah  is  here.  He  is  a  Bridegroom 
come  to  his  Bride.  Shall  he  find  the  Bridal  Chamber  full 
of  all  uncleanness,  of  toads  and  serpents,  or  shall  he  find 
it  swept  and  garnished .''  We  are  the  friends  of  the  Bride- 
groom.    Let  us  up  and  be  doing." 

Ehud's  speech  was  applauded  with  clamorous  outbursts, 
and  yet  so  strong  was  the  influence  of  the  sons  of  Judas 
that  a  few,  even  of  the  most  violent,  hesitated  and  held 
back.  Except  the  few  representatives  from  distant  lands, 
and  Barabbas  and  Judas  Iscariot,  they  were  all  Galileans 
and  skin-clad  shepherds  from  the  pastures  of  Gilead  and 
Bashan.  Judas  and  Barabbas  were  the  only  Judeans. 
Barabbas  made  an  artful  and  eloquent  plea  for  temporizing 
and  delay.     Menahem  spoke  for  the  sons  of  Judas  to  the 


210  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

same  effect,  but  briefly  and  in  rude,  sententious  manner, 
for  he  was  no  orator.  And  still  there  were  murmurings 
and  black  looks  of  discontent.  Procrastination  and  wait- 
ing,—  hope  deferred, —  had  made  many  a  heart  sick. 

After  a  short  conference  in  a  low  tone,  Menahem  brought 
a  stranger  forward  into  the  light  and  introduced  him  to 
the  Assembly  as  "  Jesus  of  Nazara,"  the  son  of  Joseph 
and  a  friend  of  the  Order.  "  A  friend !  and  why  not  a 
Zealot !  "  murmurs  Ehud  and  the  rest.  "  Doubtless  an- 
other emissary  of  Nicodemus  and  the  Aristocrats."  There 
is  loud  clamor  of  opposition  and  for  some  moments  Jesus 
stands  silent,  waiting  the  subsidence  of  the  tumult. 
Gradually,  as  these  wild  men  gaze  upon  that  wondrous 
face  and  into  those  calm,  clear  eyes,  so  strong  and  yet 
so  sad,  their  murmurs  cease,  and  the  place  becomes  still. 

Then  Jesus  speaks.  "  May  the  peace  of  God  be  with 
you." 

These  are  familiar  words,  but  as  they  fall  from  the 
lips  of  Jesus,  clear,  distinct,  sonorous,  infused  with  the 
magnetism  of  a  great  soul,  they  have  new  meaning.  They 
are  as  lamps  that  had  burned  out  refilled  and  relighted. 
Every  eye  is  at  once  riveted  upon  Jesus,  and  the  place 
becomes  so  still  that  the  slight  scintillations  of  the  torches 
sound  distinct. 

Then  Jesus  goes  on.  "  If  a  man  designs  to  build  a 
house  or  a  tower,  what  is  it  he  first  does.?  Doth  he  not 
first  sit  down  and  count  the  cost,  whether  he  have  suffi- 
cient to  finish  it,  lest  after  he  hath  laid  the  foundation 
and  is  not  able  to  finish  it,  all  that  behold  it  begin  to  mock 
him,  saying,  This  man  began  to  build  and  was  not  able 
to  finish. 

"  Or  what  king,  going  to  make  war  against  another  king, 
sitteth  not  down  and  consulteth,  whether  he  be  able  with 
ten  thousand  to  meet  him  that  cometh  with  twenty  thousand. 
So  we  who  would  make  war  with  Rome,  if  we  would  be 
wise,  must  first  count  the  cost. 


THE  PLOTTERS  211 

"  Remember  first  of  all  that  we  are  in  Judea,  and  not 
in  Galilee.  Look  around  you!  How  many  Jerusalcmites 
or  even  Judeans  are  here?  Only  two, —  Barabbas  and 
Judas  of  Kerioth.  We  should  know  that  without  Jerusalem 
we  are  helpless;  and  Jerusalem  is  not  only  not  with  us, 
— '  Jerusalem  is  against  us.  As  shown  by  Barabbas,  Annas 
and  Caiaphas  and  the  rulers  of  Jerusalem  may  speak  us 
fair,  but  they  would  rejoice  to  see  us  exterminated.  Their 
spies  and  agents  have  everywhere  warned  all  Pilgrims 
against  us. 

"  Again  I  say,  and  this  above  all :  Let  us  not  forget 
God !  Sayest  thou,  We  do  trust  Him  to  the  uttermost,  and 
so  doing,  He  will  save  us.  If  we  trust  Him,  then  will  we 
obe^'  His  words ;  we  will  wait  for  Him.  And  what  sayeth 
the  Scripture.''  '  To  me  belongeth  vengeance  and  recom- 
pense: their  foot  shall  slide  in  due  time,  for  their  calamity 
is  at  hand,  and  the  things  that  shall  come  upon  them 
make  haste.' 

"  To  the  Messiah  God  hath  given  all  power  in  Heaven 
and  on  earth,  and  He  it  is  whom  God  hath  appointed  to 
redeem  Israel.  What  man  of  you  all  will  deny  this !  Of 
ourselves  we  can  do  nothing,  and  w^e  believe  that  the  Mes- 
siah is  at  hand.      Surely  it  is  for  us  to  await  his  coming." 

The  speech  of  Jesus  brought  forward  nothing  that  was 
not  already  known.  It  contained  nothing  new ;  and  yet, 
simple  as  it  was,  it  had  a  profound  effect  on  his  audience. 
In  his  manner  and  bearing  was  a  magnetism  and  authority 
that  carried  all  with  him ;  and  the  meeting  broke  up  with 
the  understanding  that  there  should  be  no  violence  offered 
to  Pilate  or  the  Romans  at  the  Feast,  nor  any  armed  demon- 
stration,—  only  petition  and  clamor  as  heretofore. 

We  say  Jesus  carried  all  with  him :  as  always,  there  were 
a  few  exceptions.  Ehud  and  Judas  of  Kerioth,  called 
Iscariot,  and  several  others  of  the  more  violent  faction 
were  still  unconvinced.  They  drew  together,  and  with 
black  looks  and  silent  reprobation  stole  away  in  the 
darkness. 


XXIV 
THE  BATTLE 

"  There  were  present  at  that  season  some  that  told  Him  of  the 
Galileans,  whose  blood  Pilate  had  mingled  with  their  sacrifices." — 
Luke  xiii,  1. 

It  is  the  day  following  the  scenes  just  described,  and 
we  are  near  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem.  The  hour  is  noon, 
and  the  morning  services  and  sacrifices  having  been  com- 
pleted, the  crowd  is  pouring  forth  from  every  gate  and 
has  already  filled  every  open  space  about  the  Temple  and 
all  the  narrow  streets  leading  to  it. 

The  services  for  the  day  are  over,  and  yet  the  crowd 
does  not  disperse:  it  seems  as  if  waiting  for  something 
yet  to  be  seen  or  done;  and  instead  of  the  jollity  and 
good  humor  usually  to  be  seen  on  such  occasions,  there  is  a 
troubled,  anxious  look  on  every  face,  and  every  man  is 
talking  to  his  neighbor  in  low  tones,  but  with  fierce  glances 
and  gestures   that  betoken  much  excitement. 

Moving  boldly  and,  as  we  might  think,  ostentatiously 
among  the  crowd,  we  see  the  same  smooth,  smiling,  and 
decorous  agent  of  Nicodemus  whom  we  saw  last  night  ad- 
dressing the  Zealots.  He  pauses  here  and  there  to  speak 
aloud,  sometimes  in  Greek  and  sometimes  in  Aramaic,  words 
of  caution,  of  soothing  and  restraint,  while  at  the  same 
time  elsewhere  in  the  crowd  we  see  the  dark  faces  of 
Ehud  and  Judas  and  their  cabal  moving  swiftly  hither  and 
thither,  dropping  fiery  Hebrew  words  in  listening  ears. 
The  Roman  spies  and  Roman  soldiers,  dressed  as  Jews, 
that  are  scattered  everywhere,  soon  get  their  eyes  on  Ehud 
and  his  confreres,  and  though  they  understand  not  their 
Hebrew  words,  their  object  is  plain,  and  Ehud  and  his 
companions  are  marked  men. 

212 


THE  BATTLE  213 

And  now  the  cry  arises  from  the  far  outskirts  of  the 
crowd,  "To  Pilate's  House!"  "To  the  House  of 
Pilate !  "  Instantly  the  words  are  taken  up  by  others  here 
and  there,  and  quickly  swelled  by  a  hundred  thousand  voices, 
the  cry  rises  to  a  roar  like  a  hundred  whirlwinds.  The 
sound  of  it  shakes  the  massive  gates  of  the  Temple  in 
their  hangings,  and  sets  a-quiver  the  plates  of  gold  that 
form  its  roof. 

To  Annas  and  Caiaphas  and  the  priestly  throng  still 
within  the  Temple,  it  is  as  the  sound  of  the  passing  bell 
of  a  rich  relative  whose  estate  they  will  inherit.  In  their 
hearts  they  are  glad,  but  they  must  appear  to  mourn. 
They  have  joined  themselves  to  the  Romans  for  a  division 
of  spoils:  but  they  are  still  Jews  enough  to  treasure  up  in 
bitter  remembrance  unnumbered  wrongs,  and  deep  down 
in  their  hearts  still  to  regard  their  imperious  masters  with 
uncxtinguishable  hate.  And  scarcely  less  is  their  hatred 
of  the  Amhaartz,  the  Zealots,  those  vile  Democrats  who, 
hating  the  Romans  not  more  than  the  Jewish  Aristocrats, 
would  not  only  drive  out  the  Romans  but  demand  a  return 
to  the  primitive  rule  of  Samuel  and  Eli,  who  would  reduce 
all  things  to  a  level,  whose  secret  watchword  is,  "  Call  no 
man  Master." 

That  these  and  the  Romans  should  come  in  conflict  and 
destroy  each  other  was  a  consummation  sincerely  desired 
by  Caiaphas  and  Annas  and  by  all  the  rich  Sadducees  of 
their  part3\  But  of  course  it  was  ruin  to  be  so  known. 
They  must  dissemble.  And  so  we  now  behold  the  dignified 
Rabbi  Boethus,  whom  we  saw  at  the  chariot  race  in  Tiberias, 
issuing  from  the  Temple  gate  in  all  the  state  of  a  "  Ruler 
in  Isi'ael."  Broad  phj'lactcries  are  on  his  forclicad  and 
arm,  and  there  is  the  rich  tallith,  with  its  broad  borders 
and  fringes,  and  before  him  march  a  company  of  armed 
retainers,  and  a  stalwart  Herald  bearing  an  immense  ram's- 
horn.  Boethus  takes  a  station  on  an  elevated  terrace  of 
the  Temple,  and  his  Herald  blows  a  mighty  blast  on  his 


214  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

horn.  For  a  moment  the  flow  of  the  crowd,  already  be- 
gun towards  the  house  of  Pilate,  is  arrested,  and  Boethus, 
in  the  solemn,  dignified  manner  of  a  preacher  repeating 
an  old,  worn-out  formula,  addresses  them,  and  commands 
them  in  the  name  of  Caiaphas  the  High  Priest  to  desist 
from  any  tumultuous  proceedings  towards  Pilate  or  the 
Roman  soldiers. 

As  soon,  however,  as  the  name  of  Boethus  is  given  out 
in  the  crowd  and  the  nature  of  his  address  becomes  known, 
his  voice  is  drowned  in  the  roar  of  the  multitude  crying 
out,  "  Down  with  the  usurers !  "  "  Down  with  the  re- 
graters  !  "  "  Away  with  the  money-changers  and  dealers 
in  doves !  "  Some,  more  bold  than  the  rest,  even  throw 
dust  into  the  air,  and  cry,  "  Send  down  to  us  those  Club- 
men of  Annas  you  have  with  you  there,  and  let  them  stop 
us!" 

Boethus,  with  lengthened  visage  and  half-shut  eyes, 
continues  to  mutter  something  for  a  few  moments  longer; 
then,  shaking  the  dust  from  his  feet  against  them  and  still 
guarded  by  his  retinue  of  clubmen,  he  solemnly  marches 
back  and  disappears  in  the  Temple. 

And  now  the  multitude,  without  restraint  again,  and 
louder  than  before,  takes  up  the  cry,  "  To  Pilate's  House !  " 
"  To  the  House  of  Pilate !  "  and  surges  tumultuously  for- 
ward through  every  narrow  street,  filling  the  deep  gorge 
of  the  Cheesemongers  and  rolling  towards  the  heights  of 
the  old  city  of  David  like  an  inundation.  At  first  it  would 
seem  that  the  Temple  Area  is  swept  bare  as  a  desert 
strand.  The  swarm  of  priests,  Levites,  and  Temple  of- 
ficials are  all  hid  away  within,  and  over  at  the  adjoining 
fortress  and  tower  of  Antonia,  where  Varus  holds  com- 
mand, no  soldier  has  appeared  during  the  tumult  to  pro- 
voke violence. 

But  now,  swarming  out  over  all  its  lofty  towers  and 
battlements,  the  soldiers  of  Varus  appear,  watching  from 
their  elevated  position   the  movement   of  the  mob,  which 


THE  BATTLE  215 

they  expect  momentarily  to  be  ordered  out  to  cut  down  and 
disperse.  And  now,  too,  out  from  a  darkened  niche  un- 
der the  tower  of  John,  and  near  the  Temple  entrance, 
walk  slowly  forth  two  men,  who,  from  that  point  of 
vantage,  have  been  intently  observant  of  all  that  has 
passed.  As  they  come  out  into  the  open,  we  recognize  them 
as  Jesus  and  his  cousin  John. 

Jesus  for  the  occasion,  perhaps  to  attract  less  notice, 
has  on  the  ordinary  sudar,  or  head  covering  of  a  country- 
man, which  spreads  over  neck  and  shoulders,  and  makes 
his  long  flowing  hair  less  noticeable.  John  is  the  same 
as  we  last  saw  him  at  the  cave  of  Addi,  clothed  only  in  a 
coat  of  skins  girt  about  the  loins, —  wooden  sandals  on 
his  bare  feet,  secured  by  leather  thongs,  and  his  head 
covered  only  by  his  great  mass  of  hair,  which  descends  to 
his  girdle, —  a  weird,  grim  figure.  Yet,  far  from  being 
unique,  we  noticed  many  such  in  the  Temple  crowd.  They 
are  a  product  of  the  times  and  the  country.  Instead  of 
following  the  multitude,  Jesus  and  John  turn  north,  and, 
following  the  Temple  wall,  pass  under  the  frowning  bat- 
tlements of  Antonia.  As  they  pass  the  fortress,  the  soldiers 
on  the  walls  jeer  and  laugh  at  the  uncouth  figure  of  John, 
but  neither  he  nor  Jesus  so  much  as  cast  an  eye  at  their 
persecutors,  but  pass  on  and  disappear  towards  the  Fish 
Gate  and  the  road  to  the  desert. 

But  it  is  time  to  seek  the  multitude  that  has  gone  to- 
wards the  house  of  Pilate,  the  roar  of  which  still  sounds 
from  beyond  the  gorge  of  the  Tyrophean.  The  house 
of  Pilate  is  now  what  xcas  the  palace  of  the  elder  Herod. 
It  is  in  the  old  city  of  David,  on  the  sacred  mount  of  Zion. 
Since  the  foreign  rule  of  Antiochus,  this  ancient  possession 
and  most  revered  spot  has  been  gradually  alienated  from 
all  sacred  uses,  and  in  the  time  of  which  we  write  it  is  given 
up  to  the  palatial  residences  of  the  rich  and  to  heathen 
abominations'. 

Herod,  who  as  a  Jew  had  built  a  Temple  to  Jehovah 


gl6  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

a  hundred  times  more  costly  and  magnificent  than  that 
of  Solomon,  had  also,  in  imitation  of  Rome,  erected  theaters 
and  amphitheaters  and  hippodromes  of  great  magnificence. 
If  Solomon  "  built  a  high  place  for  Chemosh,  the  abomina- 
tion of  Moab,  in  the  hill  that  is  before  Jerusalem,  and 
went  after  Ashtoreth,  the  goddess  of  the  Zidonians,  and 
after  Milcom,  the  abomination  of  the  Ammonites,"  so  did 
Herod  build  heathen  temples  and  erect  statues  and  votive 
offerings  to  Caesar.  On  the  sacred  mount  of  Zion  he  had 
erected  for  himself  a  palace  which  was  thought  equal  to 
any  then  in  the  world.  Extensive  grounds  about  it  were 
cleared,  leveled,  and  made  into  parks  and  gardens  with 
fountains  and  rivers  and  lakes,  pillared  porticos  and  shady 
retreats.  About  it  all,  to  protect  himself  against  the  ever 
present  danger  of  rebellion,  he  erected  a  massive  wall  of 
immense  thickness  and  strength.  Great  military  towers 
arose  at  the  gates  and  at  intervals  along  the  whole  wall. 
It  was  both  a  residence  and  a  citadel.     Here  Pilate  lived. 

Hither  Jesus  was  brought  on  that  day  of  horrors.  On 
this  same  Zion's  Hill,  and  between  Pilate's  house  and  the 
Temple  Area,  were  other  and  similar  evidences  of  the  wealth 
and  power  of  the  great  Herod.  The  theater  and  hippo- 
drome are  here,  magnificent  in  gold  and  silver  and  precious 
stones,  and  all  manner  of  heathen  devices.  The  Xystos  is 
here,  a  vast  colonnaded  inclosure  for  public  assemblies. 
The  palace  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  High  Priest's  palace 
are  all  on  Zion's  hill,  and  on  the  most  direct  road  between 
the  Temple  and  the  house  of  Pilate. 

If  the  reader  will  now  take  any  good  map  of  ancient 
Jerusalem  and  study  it  carefully,  he  will  observe,  first,  that 
Jerusalem  is  built  on  four  hills.  He  will  notice  that  the 
quarter  Zion  is  separated  from  the  quarter  Moriah  and 
from  the  quarter  Akra  by  a  deep  valley,  the  Tyrophean, 
or  the  valley  of  the  Cheesemongers.  The  sides  of  this 
valley  are  very  steep,  and  are  everywhere  ift  terraces  for 
streets  or  buildings.     He  will  observe,  further,  that  the  old 


THE  BATTLE  217 

city  of  David,  or  Zion,  in  addition  to  very  marked  natural 
boundaries,  has  an  immense  wall  separating  it  entirely 
form  all  other  parts.  This  wall,  built  originally  by  the 
old  Jebusite  occupants,  rebuilt  by  David,  and  immensely 
improved  and  strengthened  by  Herod,  is  of  great  thick- 
ness and  fifty  feet  in  height.  The  towers  which  guard  and 
strengtlien  it  are  among  the  best  works  of  the  kind  in  all 
the  world.  Some  of  them  rise  a  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
in  air,  and  all  are  built  of  pure  white  marble,  each  block 
of  which  is  thirty  feet  long,  fifteen  feet  broad,  and  eight 
feet  thick,  and  all  joined  so  perfectly  that  Josephus,  who 
saw  them,  declares  that  they  showed  no  seam  and  appeared 
like  the  natural  rock. 

It  will  be  understood  that  no  attempt  is  here  made  to 
give  a  full  description  of  Jerusalem,  or  of  any  large  part 
of  it.  The  only  purpose  is  to  have  the  reader  get  a  clear 
idea  of  the  particular  places  that  are  connected  with  the 
present  narrative,  and  of  their  relative  position. 

Now  in  going  from  the  Temple  to  Zion,  there  are  two 
roads  or  routes  in  common  use.  The  first,  and  shorter, 
is  by  a  huge  bridge  which  starts  out  from  the  southwest 
corner  of  tlie  Temple  Area,  and  crossing  the  deep  gorge 
of  the  Tj'rophean  connects  through  a  mighty  gateway 
with  Zion,  at  or  near  its  northeast  corner.  From  tliis  point 
the  road  leads  up  and  over  marble  terraces  and  amidst  the 
palatial  abodes  of  the  numerous  resident  Priestliood,  of 
Scribes,  Pharisees,  and  Merchant  Princes.  Pilate's  house 
and  grounds  are  far  away,  near  the  northwest  corner  of 
Zion  and  not  far  from  the  Gennath  Gate,  which  there  gives 
the  second  entrance  from  the  Tyrophean. 

In  following  this  road  by  the  bridge  from  the  Temple 
to  the  house  of  Pilate,  we  pass  the  notable  places  and 
residences  already  mentioned.  The  other  route  to  Pilate's 
house  and  Zion  lies  first  downward  into  the  valley,  and 
thence  west  up  this  valley  to  the  Gennath  Gate,  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Zion.     Here,  near  the  mighty  tower 


S18  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

of  Hippicus,  which  guards  this  gate,  we  gain  entrance, 
and  are  then  not  far  from  the  house  of  Pilate.  In  taking 
this  last  named  route  from  the  Temple,  we  pass  through 
the  business  part  of  the  city;  the  shops  and  bazaars  and 
markets  are  mostly  here.  The  smiths  and  artizans  all 
ply  their  trades  in  this  quarter,  and  sell  their  products 
direct  to  the  consumer.  On  our  left,  as  we  pass  up  this 
valley,  the  steep  hill  of  Zion  rises  abruptly  to  a  great 
height,  and  high  on  a  rocky  ridge,  difficult  itself  of  ac- 
cess from  the  valley,  towers  the  mighty  wall  of  Herod, 
with  its  towers  of  polished  marble,  all  filled  with  the  veteran 
soldiers  of  Rome. 

On  this  particular  occasion  the  mob  naturally  seeks 
the  nearest  and  easiest  road,  that  by  the  bridge.  As  we 
see,  the  bridge  becomes  at  once  so  crowded  and  jammed  by 
the  eager  throng  that  thousands  turn  away  to  take  the 
longer  and  more  difficult  route  by  the  Tyrophean  and  the 
Gennath  Gate.  Joining  the  crowd  that  goes  by  the  bridge, 
we  are  soon  across  the  valley  and  toiling  up  the  steep  of 
Zion.  The  street  we  are  on,  though  the  most  aristocratic 
one  in  the  city,  is  scarcely  more  than  an  alley.  The  resi- 
dences on  either  side,  though  splendid  and  luxurious  be- 
yond description  within,  present  to  the  street  only  bare, 
high  walls  and  mighty  gates  closed  and  barred. 

The  High  Priest's  palace,  where  Caiaphas  lives,  is  not 
far  from  the  bridge,  on  the  lower  slope  of  the  hill.  We 
pass  it  in  silence.  The  ingrained  reverence  of  the  Jew  for 
his  priesthood  is  not  yet  overcome  by  the  remembrance 
of  the  heathen  Jason  or  the  traitor  Joazer,  nor  by  the 
knowledge  that  Caiaphas  is  an  enemy  and  an  aristocrat. 
The  priests  are  the  anointed  of  God,  and  whatever  their 
crimes,  they  must  be  held  in  reverence;  and  so  we  pass  on, 
through  the  noble  square  of  the  Xystos,  with  its  marble 
and  jasper  columns  and  porticos,  to  the  huge,  frowning 
mass  of  the  Palace  of  the  Maccabees.  Built  and  occupied 
by  that  patriot  family  in  the  glorious  time  of  their  rule, 


THE  BATTLE  219 

it  is  still  an  object  of  reverence  to  every  Jew,  though  now 
owned  by  the  degenerate  son  of  Herod,  the  hated  Antipas. 
It  is  unoccupied  now  except  by  the  necessary  guards  and 
servants  to  keep  and  tend  its  extensive  grounds  and  gardens. 

As  we  come  up  to  it,  a  patriot  Galilean  in  the  crowd 
strikes  up  the  forty-fourth  Psalm,  familiar  beyond  thought 
to  every  Jew,  and  instantly  the  multitude  is  singing :  "  We 
have  heard  with  our  ears,  0  God;  our  fathers  have  told 
us  what  work  Thou  didst  in  their  days,  in  the  times  of 
old:  how  Thou  didst  drive  out  the  heathen  with  Thine 
hand."  The  sound  rolls  and  echoes  back  from  the  heights 
of  Akra  and  the  Temple  Hill,  and  thunders  in  the  ears 
of  Pilate,  as  he  paces  the  floor  of  his  great  hall  in  anxious 
thought. 

This  governing  of  the  Jewish  People,  Pilate  had  found 
from  the  ver^'  first,  was  no  sinecure.  That  obstinate, 
fanatical  spirit,  entirely  fearless  of  death,  at  the  same  time 
working  in  secret,  pulling  all  the  wires  of  intrigue  and 
keeping  the  ears  of  the  Emperor  filled  with  secret  accusa- 
tions, was  no  easy  thing  to  deal  with,  even  for  an  absolute 
riiler, — and  Pilate  was  far  from  being  absolute.  The 
sword  of  Damocles  hung  over  him,  as  over  every  other 
instrument  of  the  Imperial  System,  The  payment  of 
taxes  was  the  main  consideration  under  Tiberius  and  suc- 
ceeding emperors,  and  in  Judca  the  taxes  were  already  in 
arrears.  A  general  revolt  would  mean  loss  of  revenue,  and 
even  a  call  on  Rome  for  succor  and  contributions. 

While  Pilate  walks  the  floor  and  listens  to  the  increasing 
roar  of  the  approaching  multitude,  there  comes  in  to  him 
softly  Procula  his  wife.  She  lays  her  hand  on  his  shoulder, 
and  for  a  time  walks  silently  by  his  side.  She  is  a  beauti- 
ful woman,  and  is  dressed  and  adorned  with  all  the  art 
of  Roman  luxury.  "  My  Pontius  will  be  patient  and  for- 
bearing with  these  poor  wretched  Jews,"  she  says  at  length, 
turning  towards  Pilate  and  looking  beseechingly  into  his 
grim  face. 


220  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Pilate  stops  in  his  walk,  and,  facing  Procula  squarely, 
takes  her  hand  from  his  shoulder  and  gazes  sternly  into 
her  eyes.  "  Thou  hast  listened  too  much  to  those  artful 
proselyting  Rabbis,  I  fear,  my  Procula.  Gamaliel  and 
Nicodemus  and  Joseph  have  won  thee  over  to  be  a  Jewess. 
Is  it  not  so  .'*  " 

"  Not  so,  my  Pontius,"  answered  Procula,  meeting  Pi- 
late's distrustful  glance  with  steady  eyes.  "  I  have  learned 
much,  it  is  true,  from  these  good  men, —  much  of  this 
people  and  their  history  that  it  is  good  to  know.  As  you 
yourself  have  said,  to  govern  wisely  we  must  know  in- 
timately those  whom  we  would  govern.  You  have  learned 
much  from  these  wise  and  virtuous  men,  and  your  opinions 
of  this  people  have  been  modified  greatly ;  but  you  would 
think  it  unjust  for  me  to  call  you  a  Jew." 

Pilate  resumed  his  walk  without  answering,  and  Procula 
went  on :  "I  am  not  a  Jewess,  because,  for  one  reason,  I 
am  not  good  enough;  and  what  is  more,  even  though  a 
Roman  and  the  daughter  of  a  Scipio,  I  am  not  brave 
enough.  Jewish  history  is  full  of  examples  of  the  bravest 
and  noblest  of  women;  and  few  of  the  common  women  we 
see  about  us  but  fears  what  they  call  sin  more  than  death. 
This  young  daughter  of  Nicodemus,  who  comes  here  some- 
times, beautiful,  accomplished,  and  favored  in  every  way 
as  she  is,  would  not  hesitate  to  die  for  either  her  country 
or  her  religion.  They  are  a  wonderful  people,  are  these 
Jews.  It  is  hardly  strange  that  they  claim  to  be  the 
chosen  people  of  God.  We  must  bear  with  them,  my  Pon- 
tius, for  mercy  truly  is  a  nobler  thing  than  vengeance." 

Meanwhile  the  mob  has  reached  and  poured  into  the 
open  space  about  the  theater  and  the  Hippodrome,  at 
sight  of  which  the  Psalm  singing  dies  upon  the  lips,  and 
the  people  gaze  upon  these  heathen  abominations  in  silence, 
but  with  hearts  swelling  with  rage,  with  a  sense  of  insult 
and  irrevocable  wrong.  Suddenly  a  voice  in  the  crowd 
shrills  out,  "  Thou  shalt  not  make  into  thee  any  graven 


THE  BATTLE  221 

image,  nor  any  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  the  heavens 
above,  nor  in  the  earth  beneath,  nor  in  the  waters  under 
the  earth."  In  a  moment  there  is  a  hubbub,  as  of  Tophet. 
Cries  and  execrations  swell  again  into  a  roar,  as  of  an 
angry  sea. 

Stones,  torn  from  the  pavement,  begin  to  rain  against 
the  gilded  effigies  and  heathen  ornaments  of  the  fa9ade, 
and  then  the  two  Roman  sentries  who  guard  the  entrance 
become  the  target  for  a  fusillade  of  stones.  But  they  do 
not  flinch,  and  continue  to  walk  their  beat  till  knocked 
senseless  and  dragged  within  by  their  comrades.  Their 
orders  have  been  strict,  not  to  resist;  and  like  Roman 
soldiers  they  have  obeyed, —  but  only  to  treasure  up  the 
insult  for  usurious  vengeance,  and  a  vengeance  that  is  to 
become  the  world's  horror  to  the  end  of  time. 

And  now  the  mob  is  at  the  gates  of  the  great  wall 
surrounding  the  palace  of  Herod,  which  encloses  the  parks 
and  gardens  of  a  private  residence  only,  and  are  within 
the  main  city  wall  but  not  part  of  it.  They  are  forty- 
five  feet  high  and  massive  enough  to  resist  the  attack  of 
any  military  engine  then  in  existence.  These  extensive 
gardens  and  parks  about  the  house  of  Pilate  have  been 
kept  open  to  the  public  by  all  the  Roman  Governors,  as 
had  been  done  by  Herod.  At  night  the  gates  are  shut, 
but  during  the  day  no  one  is  denied  access  to  them :  Pilate 
has  not  yet  thought  it  expedient  to  change  the  rule. 

The  tower  at  the  entrance,  and  others  rising  at  regular 
intervals  along  the  whole  wall,  are  immensely  strong,  and 
of  great  height.  They  are  all  manned  by  Roman  soldiers, 
though  none  is  here  in  sight  to  offend  the  patriot  sensi- 
bilities. The  mob  pours  through  the  gates  and  swarms 
about  the  palace,  overturning  precious  vases  and  statuary, 
trampling  over  beds  of  rare  plants  and  flowers,  to  the  great 
grief  of  Procula, —  who  is  looking  out  with  fear  and 
trembling  over  the  sea  of  wild,  excited,  obdurate  human 
faces. 


222  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

And  now  for  the  first  time  the  real  object  of  the  mob 
becomes  apparent.  The  cry  of  "  Corban !  Corban !  "  and 
"  Restore  the  Temple  Treasure !  Restore  the  Temple 
Treasure !  '*  taken  up  and  repeated  by  fifty  thousand 
voices,  wild  and  shrill  with  fanatical  excitement,  may  well 
appal  a  stouter  heart  than  that  of  poor  Procula,  who  clings 
to  her  husband's  arm  and  looks  into  his  grim,  stern  face, 
fearing  the  worst. 

But  Pilate,  as  we  know,  has  not  been  taken  by  surprise: 
his  measures  have  been  taken.  And  now,  bare  headed, 
and  wrapped  simply  in  his  Roman  toga,  he  walks  out  alone 
on  the  high  balcony  that  overlooks  the  surging  crowd 
and,  standing  like  a  statue  done  in  bronze,  waits  for 
silence.  Instantly  every  tongue  is  stilled  and  every  eye 
fixed  on  the  motionless  figure  of  Pilate. 

The  austere  Roman  surveys  the  crowd  calmly  for  a 
moment,  without  speaking,  but  at  length,  without  any  at- 
tempt at  oratory  and  without  raising  his  voice  above  a 
dignified  and  commanding  tone,  he  says,  "  Know,  O  ye 
Jews,  that  it  is  through  my  mercy  and  forbearance  that 
ye  are  not  already  severely  punished  for  this  unlawful 
assemblage.  Listen,  now,  to  what  I  say.  Treasure  it  in 
wise  hearts,  and  disperse  quietly  to  your  homes.  The  rule 
of  Rome  is  just,  and  you  should  not  need  to  be  told  that 
her  arm  is  all  powerful.  Your  seditions  have  been  crushed 
too  many  times  for  you  to  require  further  proofs. 

"  The  aqueduct  which  I  am  building,  and  against  which 
you  raise  this  senseless  outcry,  is  a  thing  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  the  health  of  your  city  and  for  the  sacrifices  at 
your  Temple.  To  go  on  Avith  this  work,  undertaken  wholly 
for  your  good,  it  was  necessary  to  use  the  funds  in  your 
Treasury.  The  money  will  not  be  restored.  Now  obey 
my  command,  and  disperse  quietly." 

Pilate's  address  was  given  in  Greek,  and  to  a  considerable 
number  of  his  auditors  its  meaning  had  to  be  explained  by 
fellow    Jews   in   the   crowd   who   were   familiar   with   that 


THE  BATTLE  223 

language.  Then  there  is  a  confused  low  rumble  of  count- 
less voices,  broken  at  length,  as  by  picket  shots  in  ad- 
vance of  battle,  by  here  and  there  a  wild  shrill  cry,  which 
soon  swells  into  a  discordant  roar,  more  savage  and  per- 
sistent than  any  before.  Swelling  now  above  the  cries  of 
"  Corban !  Corban !  "  and  "  Restore  the  Treasure,"  are 
heard  the  deadlier  notes  of  sedition  and  rebellion.  "  Down 
with  the  tyrant !  "  "  Away  with  the  heathen !  "  and  from 
a  large  group  of  Galileans,  where  we  see  Ehud  and  Boaz, 
Menahem  and  Judas,  arises  the  wild  war  cry  of  the  Zealots : 
"  No  tax  but  to  the  Temple !  No  friend  but  a  Zealot ! 
No  master  but  God." 

The  outlook  is  threatening  in  the  extreme.  The  total 
of  the  Roman  army  in  Jerusalem  is  not  above  fifteen  thou- 
sand men,  and  here  is  a  mob  of  fifty  thousand  frenzied 
fanatics,  with  forty  times  that  number  of  sympathizers 
within  call.  But  Pilate  does  not  flinch ;  he  still  stands  like 
a  statue  on  the  high  balcony  overlooking  the  crowd  and 
watching  every  motion  with  a  steadfast  e3'e.  At  length, 
when  the  noise  and  confusion  seems  to  have  reached  its 
heighth,  from  the  midst  of  the  band  of  Galileans  bursts 
the  wild  shrill  note  of  a  trumpet  of  war.  The  sound  of  it 
rises  and  swells  like  a  tocsin  above  the  roar  of  the  multi- 
tude, and  for  an  instant  even  the  nerves  of  the  iron  Roman 
on  the  balcony  are  shaken  by  a  tremor  of  dismay.  But 
he  stands  firm. 

A  moment  later,  and  a  stone  torn  from  the  pavement 
and  hurled  as  from  a  catapult  by  some  strong  shepherd's 
hand  in  the  crowd  crashes  through  the  balustrade,  splinter- 
ing one  of  the  jasper  pilasters  and,  grazing  the  thigh  of 
Pilate,  strikes  with  a  heavy  thud  against  the  marble  wall 
behind  him.  Another  and  another  stone  follows  in  quick 
succession  and  aimed  so  well  that  Pilate's  toga  is  torn  and 
his  skin  set  bleeding.  It  is  time  for  him  to  act.  He 
raises  his  hand  above  his  head  as  the  signal,  and  instantly 
throughout  the  crowd  the  disguised  soldiers  of  Pilate,  each 


224  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

with  a  club  and  a  dagger  drawn  from  beneath  his  aba, 
begin  an  onslaught  upon  those  of  the  mob  who  seem  most 
violent,  and  soon  in  wild  panic  the  multitude  is  crushing 
and  trampling  one  another  in  its  haste  to  escape  through 
the  gates. 

Only  the  club  has  been  used  on  the  unarmed  mob ;  but 
now  the  band  of  Galileans,  the  last  to  retire,  holding  to- 
gether and  retreating  slowly  and  sullenly,  call  for  different 
treatment.  Again  Pilate  raises  his  hand,  and  forth  from 
the  great  tower  at  the  gate  pours  a  cohort  of  picked 
soldiers.  Pilate's  spies  have  long  ago  informed  him  of 
the  secret  machinations  of  these  Galilean  Zealots,  and  now 
that  they  are  in  considerable  numbers  separated  and  identi- 
fied, it  is  Pilate's  object  to  destroy  them  utterly, —  a  thing 
easier  said  than  done;  for  now  each  Galilean,  throwing 
off  his  outer  garment,  shows  himself  armed  with  a  short 
heavy  sword  and  a  small  iron-bound  wooden  shield.  Some, 
as  Menahem  and  his  brothers,  Judas  Iscariot  and  Barabbas, 
have  breast-plates  of  iron.  Some  of  the  fishermen  and 
shepherds,  after  throwing  off  their  sheep-skin  coats,  were 
nearly  naked,  entirely  without  armour  and  unskilled  in  the 
use  of  the  sword;  but  each  had  a  sling  and  a  bag  of 
smooth  stones  at  his  girdle,  and  with  these,  as  the  Romans 
advanced,  many  a  stout  warrior  was  laid  low. 

In  the  hand-to-hand  fight  that  ensued  no  quarter  was 
given  or  asked.  For  the  Galilean  it  was  victory  or  death. 
To  be  taken  was  death,  and  to  sell  his  life  dearly  was  each 
man's  resolve.  To  Barabbas  alone,  the  position  was  a 
false  one;  he  alone  had  planned  very  differently.  But 
being  caught  with  these  Galilean  Zealots,  there  was  nothing 
he  could  say  or  do  to  clear  himself  in  the  eyes  of  the  jealous 
Pilate ;  so  he,  like  the  rest,  resolved  to  do  and  die. 

In  these  hand-to-hand  encounters  with  swords,  it  was 
a  question  only  of  seconds, —  the  guard,  the  stroke,  often 
the  deadly  grapple  with  dagger  thrusts  in  eyes  and  throats. 

What  the  Zealots  lacked  in  warlike  skill  and  prepara- 


THE  BATTLE  225 

tion  they  made  up  in  that  desperate  valor  that  comes  to 
all  men,  and  even  to  the  wolf  at  bay.  Barabbas  was 
known  in  Jerusalem,  and  had  before  this  given  many  oc- 
casions of  offense;  so  now  the  Captain  of  the  Roman  co- 
hort singled  him  out  for  his  own  prey, —  apparently  an 
easy  task,  for  Barabbas,  smaller  and  without  armor,  ap- 
peared no  match  for  his  stalwart  antagonist.  But  the 
battle,  then  as  now  and  ever,  is  not  always  to  the  strong. 
Barabbas,  thin,  wiry,  and  active  as  a  desert  stag,  danced 
round  his  enemy,  avoiding  thrusts  and  strokes  almost  like 
an  unsubstantial  wraith.  At  length,  seeing  that  the  heavy 
Roman  was  breathing  hard  with  unwonted  effort,  Barabbas 
threw  down  his  shield,  and  with  a  dagger  in  his  left  hand 
and  sword  in  his  right  became  at  once  the  assailant. 
Feinting  a  thrust  at  the  Roman's  face,  which  caused 
him  to  raise  his  shield,  Barabbas  plunged  beneath  the  up- 
lifted arm  and,  regardless  of  the  terrible  wound  that  he 
got  in  the  act,  with  an  upward  thrust  of  his  sword  reached 
the  heart  of  the  Roman,  who  collapsed  like  a  wet  cloth. 

Meantime,  the  Galileans  as  a  whole  are  faring  badly.  The 
greater  part  have  gone  down  in  the  first  encounter,  and 
the  shepherd  slingers  have  been  the  most  effective  warriors. 
These,  affecting  to  fly,  at  the  proper  distance  brought 
their  slings  to  bear,  and  against  their  deadly  missiles, 
crashing  through  helm  and  visor,  there  was  no  defense. 
And  so  Menahem  and  his  brothers,  with  Barabbas,  Ehud, 
Boaz,  and  Judas,  found  themselves  at  last,  with  a  few  scat- 
tered slingers,  alone  upon  the  field.  The  Romans,  sure  of 
their  prey,  and  in  momentary  expectation  of  reinforce- 
ments from  Antonia,  have  slackened  their  attack,  and  are 
resting  on  their  arms.  The  Galileans  have  been  forced 
back  far  from  the  gate,  which  is  thus  left  unguarded  and 
offers  a  possibility  of  escape. 

Simon,  second  only  to  Jacobus  the  pride  and  glory  of 
Galilee,  alone  is  unwounded,  and  to  him  at  this  moment 
comes  the  thought  that  by  the  sacrifice  of  one,  the  others 


S26  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

may  escape.  Men  in  such  situations  require  no  long  ex- 
planations. A  word  to  Menahem,  a  look,  a  sign,  it  is  un- 
derstood; and  jet  there  is  a  moment  of  indecision.  Can 
they  leave  their  brother  to  be  slaughtered  by  Roman  swords, 
that  they  may  live.'^  (The  world  and  history  will  so  re- 
port it.)  No!  a  thousand  times.  No!  Rather  die  a  thou- 
sand deaths !  And  yet !  And  yet !  There  is  the  Sacred 
Cause,  the  Cause  of  God.  What  is  life  or  death,  glory, 
fame,  good  or  ill,  suffering  or  loss,  compared  to  that ! 
Should  not  one  die  that  the  rest  may  live.?     For  vengeance? 

The  tramp  of  the  approaching  cohort  already  sounds 
on  the  ear,  and  Simon  steps  forth  alone  with  his  challenge : 
"  Any  two  of  your  best !  "  The  Roman  soldier,  glorying 
in  nothing  but  feats  of  arms,  is  not  without  admiration 
for  the  brave, —  not  without  his  code  of  honor.  The  brave 
Israelite  shall  have  his  chance.  One  at  a  time,  and  not 
two,  shall  meet  him. 

One,  and  still  another,  and  y^i  a  third  goes  down  be- 
fore the  sword  of  Simon ;  but  spent  and  bleeding  from  a 
dozen  wounds,  he  can  do  no  more.  Turning  one  last  look 
upon  the  shining  mass  of  the  Temple  that  looms  on  the 
heighth  of  Moriah,  brilliant  and  beautiful  as  a  vision  of 
the  new  Jerusalem,  he  bares  his  breast  to  the  gladiatorial 
stroke,  and  breathes  out  in  his  dying  breath  the  ancient 
war-cry  of  the  Maccabee.  At  the  same  time  his  brothers 
and  comrades,  lighter  armed  and  more  active  than  the  Ro- 
mans, have  made  a  run  for  the  gate,  and  though  some  were 
cut  off  and  killed,  Menahem  and  Eleazer,  Barabbas,  Judas 
and  Ehud  escape  into  the  city,  and  though  closely  pursued 
are  soon  lost  among  the  narrow  lanes  and  dark  passages 
of  the  Tyrophean. 


XXV 

THE  DESERT 

"  And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  and  was  in  the 
deserts  till  the  day  of  his  showing  unto  Israel." — Luke  i,  80. 

It  were  well  for  the  reader  to  recall  here  the  picture  of 
the  Holy  Land,  as  it  stands  revealed  either  to  his  memory 
as  a  traveler  or  to  his  reading, 

A  land  of  mountains  and  hills,  of  valleys  and  fertile 
plains,  hemmed  in  on  the  south  and  cast  by  barren  deserts. 
He  will  remember  that  between  the  arable  land  and  the 
desert  there  is  generally  no  sharp  line  of  division,  but  that 
gradually,  as  the  traveler  passes  southward  or  eastward, 
the  soil  becomes  more  sand}'  and  sterile,  the  vegetation  more 
scant  and  insignificant,  and  the  face  of  the  country  more 
level  and  monotonous,  till  at  last  all  ends  in  the  vast  rolling 
expanse  of  sun-burned,  shifting  sands  that  stretch  away  in 
frightful  solitude  to  the  Persian  Gulf  and  the  river  Eu- 
phrates. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the  east  those  water  courses 
that  in  winter  pour  their  torrents  into  the  Jordan  and  the 
Dead  Sea  have  their  utmost  source  in  wadies  which,  in 
gradually  diminishing  width  and  depth,  spread  out  and 
extend  like  the  tentacles  of  a  vast  polypus  to  the  borders 
of  the  most  arid  wastes.  These  wadies,  beginning  in  a 
mere  depression  or  hollow,  may  grow  gradually  wider  and 
deeper  as  they  extend  westward  towards  the  Jordan  or  the 
Dead  Sea,  or  they  may  break  suddenly  off  into  frightful 
chasms,  with  perpendicular  walls  of  rock  inaccessible  even 
to  the  fox  or  the  wild  goat.  For  some  distance  bordering 
the  desert,  they  are  for  the  greater  part  of  the  3'ear  en- 
tirely waterless,  and  often  even  in  the  rainy  season  they 
are  not  visited  by  a  shower.     It  is  the  land  spoken  of  by 

227 


228  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  prophet,  "  The  land  of  deserts  and  pits,  the  land  of 
drought  and  of  the  shadow  of  death, —  a  land  that  no 
man  passeth  through,  and  where  no  man  dwelleth." 

It  is  now  late  afternoon,  and  the  red  sun  hangs  like  a 
great  glowing  coal  above  the  mountains  of  Gilead,  that  from 
here  show  only  as  a  low  bank  of  blue  in  the  distant  west. 
Eastward  and  southward  the  desert  sands  stretch  away  in 
bare  and  lifeless  expanse  to  the  horizon.  A  deep  wady 
here  has  its  source, —  at  first  a  mere  hollow  between  slight 
elevations,  it  rapidly  widens  and  deepens  till  within  a  mile 
from  where  we  stand  it  has  grown  to  be  a  canyon,  with 
bare  rocky  walls  where  even  the  hyssop  and  the  acacia 
find  no  rooting.  On  the  open  plain  there  are  some  vestiges 
of  vegetation,  some  tufts  of  sun-burned  camel's  grass, 
some  withered  acacias,  and  a  few  dwarfish  cacti.  Few  signs 
of  animal  life  are  there,  on  earth  or  in  air.  The  cony  of 
the  rocks  has  withdrawn  to  greener  fields,  and  one  solitary 
vulture,  at  vast  height,  is  fanning  the  thin  air  towards 
far-off  Mecca  and  the  caravan. 

As  the  sun  dips  his  edge  below  the  horizon,  two  men 
appear  coming  in  from  the  desert,  each  bearing  on  his 
shoulder  a  large  bag  or  sack  filled  with  locusts,  the  result 
of  the  day's  toil.  As  they  draw  near,  we  recognize  them 
as  our  old  acquaintances,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  and  John  of 
Hebron.  Their  dress  is  much  the  same  as  when  we  last  saw 
them,  only  now  quite  old  and  worn,  and  patched  here  and 
there  with  stout  cloth  of  camel's  hair  that  sometimes  has 
made  the  rent  worse.  The  dust  of  the  desert,  mingled  with 
sweat,  has  begrimed  their  faces  and  hands  and  all  the  ex- 
posed parts  of  their  bodies,  and  turned  hair  and  beards 
to  a  reddish  gray. 

Their  steps  are  directed  towards  the  wady.  Both  men 
seem  to  be  tired,  bent  beneath  their  burdens.  At  the  point 
where  the  shallow  channel  breaks  off  into  a  deep  and  pre- 
cipitous gorge,  they  set  down  their  loads  and  prepare  by 
various  readjustments  of  fastenings  for  the  perilous  descent 


THE  DESERT  229 

Into  the  wadj.  While  so  employed,  Jesus  discovers  on  a 
small  cactus  growing  on  the  edge  of  the  chasm,  a  little 
pale,  pink  flower.  With  pleased  expression  he  stoops  to 
examine  it  critically  and  calls  the  attention  of  John  to  it, 
but  John,  with  set  face  and  preoccupied  air,  only  glances 
toward  it,  and  is  not  impressed 

The  path  of  the  ascetic,  as  of  the  drunkard  and  of 
every  other  human  creature  who  departs  from  the  simple, 
clear,  and  easy  way  of  Nature,  is  ever  a  tangent  that  leads 
constantly-  farther  and  farther  from  the  central  truth,  till 
it  is  lost  in  chaotic  wilds  wherein  no  man  can  dwell. 

It  had  been  so  w^ith  Addi.  The  improved  conditions 
brought  about  in  the  cave  and  all  its  surroundings  by  the 
fine,  artistic  taste  and  industry  of  Jesus,  instead  of  en- 
dearing It  to  Addi  and  making  it  more  sacred  and  precious 
to  him  as  a  home,  had  aroused  in  him  a  morbid  sense  of 
unworthiness  and  Impropriety.  There  were  deep  questions 
of  life  and  death,  of  angels  and  spirits,  of  the  soul  and 
immortality,  that  were  less  and  less  clear  to  him,  and  he 
believed  that  it  was  because  his  mind  was  too  much  diverted 
by  pleasures  of  sense.  The  bed  of  leaves  and  grass  that 
Jesus  had  prevailed  on  him  to  use  Instead  of  the  bare 
ground,  the  enhanced  beauty  of  the  grove,  trimmed  and 
trained  by  Jesus'  hand,  the  Improved  quality  of  fruit  and 
flower,  were  all  devices  of  the  Devil  to  draw  his  mind  away 
from  Scripture  study,  and  to  darken  and  obscure  his  vision 
of  the  mystical  Babylon  and  the  New  Jerusalem. 

And  so  Addi,  with  John  still  a  faithful  disciple,  had 
removed  from  one  place  to  another,  ever  going  farther  and 
farther  from  the  haunts  of  men  and  deeper  into  the  desert 
wilds,  till  at  last  he  had  taken  up  his  abode  on  this  last 
outpost  of  all  cosmic  things,  amidst  splintered  bare  rocks 
and  utter  desolation. 

Here  Addi  had  died;  and  John  for  a  long  time  had 
remained  here  alone.     Then  Jesus  came;  and  so  It  Is  that 


230  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

we  find  Jesus  and  John  together  here.  The  cave  that  they 
inhabit  at  the  bottom  of  the  wady  is  very  small,  and  bare 
of  every  convenience  of  civilized  life;  but  it  is  under  the 
south  wall,  and  there  is  a  widening  of  the  gorge  at  this 
point,  so  that  the  sun  at  noon  shines  down  opposite  the 
opening  of  their  cave  and  is  mirrored  in  the  small,  rock- 
hewn  basin  of  water  on  the  other  side.  A  stream  of  water 
no  larger  than  a  spear  of  grass  issues  from  a  minute  crevice 
and  is  caught  in  a  small  basin  rudely  shaped  in  the  rock  by 
some  ancient  cave-dweller  and  used,  as  necessity  or  super- 
stition impelled,  by  unnumbered  generations  of  men, 
Troglodites,  Anthropophagi,  ancient  Accadians,  and  sons 
of  Anak.  Their  bare  feet  in  ten  thousand  years  have 
worn  hollows  in  the  rock  where  the  path  leads  down  from 
the  desert  plain. 

The  wild  Ishmaelites  of  the  desert  know  well  the  spot, 
and  often  the  herdsmen  of  Aretas  come  long  distances  on 
their  camels  to  drink  of  the  pure  waters  of  the  wady  and 
to  talk  with  the  mysterious  strangers  of  the  cave. 

It  is  midday  on  the  desert,  and  at  the  cave;  and  the 
fierce  heat  of  a  vertical  sun  has  baked  even  the  desert  sand 
to  a  crust,  so  that  it  flakes  and  crackles  under  our  tread 
like  the  hot  scoria  of  a  volcano.  The  stunted  acacias  that 
we  saw  languishing  at  the  edge  of  the  wady  seem  now 
entirely  dead,  and  even  the  hardy  cacti,  smothered  in  desert 
dust,  show  no  sign  of  life.  In  the  deep  recesses  of  the 
wady,  too,  the  air,  unstirred  by  any  breeze,  is  close  and 
stifling,  like  that  of  an  oven.  Jesus  and  John,  as  usual  at 
this  hour,  have  repeated  together  the  eighteen  Benedic- 
tions and  are  now  seated  in  the  shade  of  the  rocks  op- 
posite their  cave. 

The  water  supplied  by  the  spring,  scant  as  it  is,  and 
poured  on  bare  rocks,  makes  a  little  vegetation  possible. 
Some  industrious  tenant  of  long  ago  has  brought  soil  from 
a  far-away  tell  or  wady,  and  planted  a  vine  and  a  fig  tree 


THE  DESERT  231 

below  the  spring.  The  tree,  twisted  and  gnarled  and 
scorched  by  the  droughts  of  a  thousand  years,  still  twines 
its  roots  about  the  splintered  crags,  and  to-day  is  filled 
with  blossoms  and  fruit.  An  orchid  also,  brought  here  by 
Jesus  from  the  earlier  haunt  and  now  gorgeous  in  bloom, 
hangs  by  a  crevice  in  the  wall  and  fills  the  air  with  delicate 
perfume.  The  vine  has  been  torn  out  and  destroyed  by 
John ;  its  luscious  clusters,  like  those  of  Hebron  and 
Engedi,  which  the  Nazarite  was  forbidden  to  touch,  had 
offered  a  too  insidious  and  perpetual  temptation,  and  the 
stern  ascetic  had  found  his  only  safety  in  plucking  it  up 
root  and  branch  for  the  saving  of  his  soul. 

The  shadow  of  the  rock  reaches  scarcely  beyond  the  feet 
of  the  men,  and  out  in  the  blistering  sunlight  spreads  a 
bare  rock  before  their  cave.  While  we  look,  on  this  rock 
appears  a  small,  golden-3'ellow  lizard.  Jesus  observed  it 
first,  and  called  the  attention  of  John  to  it.  "  How  beauti- 
ful it  is,"  he  said,  "  how  rich  in  color,  how  delicately 
formed,  and  how  graceful  in  all  its  movements.  Beauti- 
ful little  creature !     And  God  made  it !  " 

While  Jesus  spoke,  a  large  scorpion,  of  horrid  aspect, 
rushed  from  a  crevice  in  the  rock  and  attempted  to  seize 
the  lizard  for  its  prey.  But  the  lizard,  dropping  its  tail, 
fled  just  in  time  to  escape,  leaving  its  tail,  however,  to  be 
greedily  devoured  by  the  poisonous  monster.  John,  who 
had  witnessed  it  all,  took  up  a  stone  and  was  about  to  kill 
the  scorpion,  when  Jesus  interposed.  "  Don't  kill  it," 
he  said.  "  If  it  frightens  our  poor  lizard  so  it  breaks  off 
its  tail,  it  also  destroys  noxious  worms  and  insects.  I 
know  that  at  the  grove  of  Addi,  I  used  to  see  the  scorpions 
hunting  for  those  insects  that  were  so  harmful  to  our 
orange  trees.  Probably  they  do  more  good  than  injury. 
I  think  a  great  deal  of  what  we  used  to  hear  so  much 
among  the  Essenes,  that  the  command  of  Moses,  *  Thou 
shalt  not  kill,'  really  means  all  it  says." 

"  Yes,"  answered  John,   "  we  learned  many  things  of 


232  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Father  Menahem  and  Chicoba  that  are  worth  thinking 
about.  I  never  kill  any  innocent  thing;  but  these  horrid 
scorpions!  If  we  don't  kill  them,  they  may  kill  us;  and 
then  the  Essenes  kill  scorpions  and  hurtful  insects,  as  you 
know." 

"  Yes,  I  know,  and  probably  it  must  be  so  under  present 
conditions ;  but  I  am  always  thinking  of  that  wonderful 
passage  in  Isaiah.  There  will  come  a  time,  he  says,  when 
the  sucking  child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and 
the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the  cockatrice's  den ; 
for  they  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy.  The  wolf,  he  says, 
shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  lion  eat  straw  like  an  ox. 
Now  these,  as  we  know,  are  true  sayings,  and  must  come  to 
pass,  but  when  and  how.?  We  all  believe, —  the  Essenes 
as  well  as  you  and  I, —  that  not  one  jot  or  tittle  shall  pass 
from  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled.  Menahem  taught  this, 
as  did  Addi,  and  Hillel,  and  Shammai ;  but  they  all  differ 
so  greatly  as  to  what  the  fulfillment  is  to  be. 

"  You  and  I,  like  most  other  Jews,  were  brought  up  in  the 
doctrine  that  the  Messiah,  now  at  hand,  is  to  be  a  great 
king  like  David,  a  man  of  war  who  shall  kill  and  destroy 
the  heathen  and  establish  his  kingdom  with,  as  it  is  said,  an 
outstretched  hand  and  a  strong  arm,  even  in  anger  and 
fury  and  in  great  wrath,  as  is  taught  by  Jeremiah.  At 
the  same  time,  we  have  seen  that  the  Essenes,  who  profess 
to  be  more  straightly  followers  of  Moses  than  we,  or  even 
Addi  or  Gamaliel,  reject  all  kinds  of  war  or  bloodshed, 
and  believe  the  Messiah  will  be  a  man  of  Peace." 

By  this  the  scorpion,  having  finished  his  meal  of  the 
lizard's  tail,  scrambled  awkwardly  across  the  rock  and 
came  close  to  Jesus'  bare  feet.  John,  made  uneasy  by  the 
apparent  danger,  again  offered  to  crush  the  creature  with  a 
stone,  but  Jesus  restrained  him.  "  It  won't  hurt  we," 
he  said,  and  putting  out  his  hand,  allowed  the  reptile  to 
feel  his  finger  with  its  claws,  and  at  last  to  crawl  into  his 
open   palm.     John   watched  the   process   with   shuddering 


THE  DESERT  233 

horror;  but  Jesus  lifted  the  animal  to  his  knees,  where  it 
quietly  went  to  sleep  on  his  iiand. 

"  '  They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  moun- 
tain,' saith  the  Lord,"  Jesus  repeated  absently.  Then, 
turning  to  John,  he  went  on :  "  The  old  prophets  must 
have  had  in  view  the  coming  of  a  time,  such  as  they  de- 
scribe, a  time  when  every  man,  as  Adam  in  Eden,  shall  be 
fearless  and  free;  when  all  men,  like  Adam,  shall  have  do- 
minion over  the  creatures ;  the  sun  shall  not  smite  by  day, 
nor  the  moon  by  night ;  there  will  no  more  be  servant  or 
master,  no  more  hunger  or  nakedness,  no  hatreds  or  revil- 
ings, —  a  time  when  men  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plow- 
shares, their  spears  into  pruning  hooks,  and  when  nations 
shall  learn  war  no  more. 

"  No  Jew  of  any  sect  or  party  but  believes  that  such  a 
time  is  predicted  and  will  come.  We  differ  only  in  the 
means.  All  agree  that  repentance  and  righteousness  are 
necessary.  As  the  wise  Rabbi  has  said,  *  If  Israel  should 
repent,  even  but  for  one  hour,  the  Messiah  would  appear ; ' 
but  what  is  it  to  repent  and  live  righteously?  You  and 
Addi  and  all  the  swarm  of  Nazarites  and  hermits  that  in- 
fest the  mountains  and  caves  of  the  wilderness  believe  that 
righteousness  consists  in  solitary  study,  self-denials,  and 
mortifications.  The  Essenes  are  at  bottom  the  same, 
though  broader  and  more  liberal.  They  admit  the  com- 
munity and  association,  many  of  them  observe  the  com- 
mand to  increase  and  multiply ;  but  they  live  hard  and  joy- 
less lives,  far,  very  far,  from  what  life  should  be. 

"  The  Pharisees,  too,  believe  that  they  have  discovered 
the  perfect  way:  to  fast  and  pray  and  tithe,  to  wash  the 
hands,  to  pour  out  the  blood  of  lambs  and  sheep  and  goats 
at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  to  make  broad  their  phylacteries, 
and  to  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  garments.  Such  is 
their  way  of  righteousness :  they  say  that  if  all  would  do 
even  as  they,  the  Messiah  would  come.  Jacobus  and  his 
Zealots,  on  the  other  hand,  believing  as  we  all  do  in  Moses 


234  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  the  Law,  make  little  of  tithes  and  hand-washings  and 
phylacteries.  They  believe  down  in  their  hearts  in  joy- 
ous lives;  they  would  return  to  the  simplicity  and  the 
equality  of  the  days  of  Samuel,  of  Samson  and  Deborah. 
They  would  make  righteousness  to  consist  of  justice  and 
judgment  and  mercy.  They  would  require  of  each  accord- 
ing to  his  ability  and  give  to  each  according  to  his  need. 
Truly,  as  it  seems  to  me,  a  noble  doctrine,  only  I  fear 
they  would  enforce  their  doctrine  with  fire  and  sword. 
They  would  drive  a  dagger  to  the  heart  even  of  a  brother 
who  is  recreant. 

"  It  is  true,  we  have  talked  all  this  over  many,  many 
times ;  but  we  must  continue  to  talk  it  over  till  we  decide 
what  is  the  true  way, —  what  is  the  will  of  God,  and,  above 
all,  what  we  are  to  do."  Jesus  paused  and  waited,  but 
John  not  answering,  he  went  on :  "  I,  as  you  know,  have  been 
strangely  drawn  towards  Jacobus  and  the  Zealots.  Their 
aim  and  object,  the  restoration  of  Israel  to  its  ancient 
simplicity  and  purity,  so  that  every  man  may  sit  under 
his  own  vine  and  fig  tree,  with  his  wife  and  children  about 
him,  care-free  and  unafraid,  seems  to  me  the  noblest  ob- 
ject for  tvhich  men  can  work.  It  is  no  wonder  that  I  came 
so  near  to  joining  them,  no  wonder  that  the  noblest  youth 
of  our  land  and  all  generous  and  aspiring  souls  are  drawn 
to  them  as  the  hope  of  Israel.  But  somehow  since  my  ex- 
perience with  them  at  Og's  cave  in  Bashan,  I  cannot  go 
with  them.  Good  cannot  come  out  of  evil.  War  and 
bloodshed  cannot  bring  peace  and  joy.  Somehow  it  seems 
to  me  that  those  who  take  the  sword  must  also  be  subject 
to  the  sword,  and  in  the  end  must  perish  by  the  sword; 
and  I  can  not  believe  in  war  any  more  at  all. 

"  It  may  be  that  this  is  because  I  was  so  shocked  by  the 
scenes  at  Og's  cave,  and  I  may  get  over  it,  but  so  it  seems 
to  me  now.  Then  the  Essenes  and  Pharisees  are  also  out 
of  the  question.  Their  methods  can  never  return  Israel  to 
Paradise,  and  that  brings  me  back  to  you  and  your  idea 


THE  DESERT  235 

that  Israel  should  repent,  and  every  one  for  himself  begin 
a  new  life  of  righteousness  and  service.  You  remember 
that  when  we  last  talked,  my  objection  to  this  was  that  ex- 
ample should  go  with  precept.  The  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees at  Jerusalem  teach  by  word  of  mouth  what  all  men 
regard  as  true;  but  their  teaching  is  as  barren  as  the  east 
wind.  No  man  regards  them,  because  they  preach  one 
thing  and  do  another. 

"Now  may  not  the  final  result  be  the  same  with  you? 
True  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  is  good,  and  per- 
haps necessary;  but  what  then.?  What  effect  is  repent- 
ance to  have  upon  life.'*  He  who  calls  on  men  to  repent 
and  live  righteously  is  himself  a  hermit  and  lives  in  the 
desert,  cut  off  from  human  kind.  Is  this  the  life  that  re- 
pentance requires.''  You  say  no,  truly,  but  you  act  dif- 
ferently, and  example,  I  am  sure,  is  more  powerful  than 
any  words.  Men,  if  they  follow  you,  will  incline  to  your 
way  of  life,  and  I  am  satisfied,  after  long  trial,  that  such 
is  not  the  true  way.  Such  lives  as  those  of  Addi  and 
Banus  and  others  like  them,  and  of  the  Essenes,  holy  lives 
truly ;  but  what  do  they  effect  .'*  Their  good,  I  fear,  dies 
with  them,  and  so,  I  fear,  will  yours. 

"  Come,  then,  with  me  to  Nazareth  and  the  abodes  of 
men.  Begin  there  to  proclaim  what  you  have  studied  out 
and  discovered  in  solitude.  The  time  surely  is  ripe.  Men 
everywhere  are  looking  for  and  expecting  the  coming  of 
the  Messiah.  There  are  thousands  of  different  opinions 
about  the  signs  and  manner  of  his  coming,  but  they  will 
all  unite  upon  one  who  speaks  positively  and  with  autliority. 
Even  if,  as  is  said,  Elias  must  first  come,  who  knows  but 
the  spirit  of  Elias  may  be  in  you.-'  God  can  do  greater 
things  than  this.  And  you  remember  what  Esli  told  us 
of  the  Buddhist  belief  about  the  souls  of  men  passing  into 
other  bodies.  Some  of  our  most  learned  Rabbis  believe 
in  such  things,  too,  and  Esli,  you  know,  said  that  the 
heathen  are  now  looking  for  a  Messiah  or  Saviour  of  the 


236  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

world,  just  as  we  are.  And  it  is  Israel's  Messiah,  for 
there  can  be  no  other;  and  God  has  revealed  even  to  the 
heathen  a  knowledge  of  his  coming." 

John  sat  with  his  head  between  his  hands,  and  looked 
straight  before  him;  but  jet  he  did  not  answer,  and  Jesus 
continued. 

"  Your  preparation  for  this  work  has  been  long  and 
sufficient.  You  are  already  known  to  many  in  Galilee. 
Your  disciples  have  spread  abroad  a  knowledge  of  your 
holy  life  and  of  what  you  teach.  You  are  known  to  be 
a  priest  by  birth;  already  some  call  you  a  prophet. 
Jacobus  and  they  that  are  with  him  look  upon  you  much 
in  the  same  way.  Then  besides,  you,  different  from  me, 
are  perfectly  clear  in  your  own  mind.  Your  father  taught 
you  from  infancy  that  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  pre- 
dicted by  the  prophets  of  old,  was  then  at  hand.  All  our 
Rabbis,  both  Pharisee  and  Sadducee,  believe  the  same,  and 
Addi  and  Banus  and  the  Essenes  are  of  like  mind.  You 
all  have  been  looking  constantly  and  praying  now  these 
many  years  for  the  coming  of  the  Messiah;  and  yet  at 
the  same  time  you  all  say  that  the  Messiah  will  never  come 
till  Israel  repents.  Now  if  this  be  true,  if  Israel  must  first 
repent,  surely  the  thing  to  do  is  to  try  by  every  means  to 
cause  Israel  to  repent.  You  were  set  apart  from  your 
birth,  like  Samuel,  to  the  service  of  the  Lord,  and  it  may 
well  be  that  you  are  called  of  God;  and  the  call  of  God 
may  no  man  resist.  But  it  is  time  for  me  to  be  going,  so 
I  will  say  no  more." 

John  put  down  his  hands  and  looked  at  Jesus  with  an 
intentness  that  was  almost  painful.  "  The  call  of  God, 
may  no  man  resist,"  John  repeated,  with  an  air  of  rapt 
absorption.  Then,  after  a  pause,  he  went  on  with  clear 
decisiveness. 

"  No,  I  cannot  go  with  you  to  Galilee.  I  cannot  change 
my  habit  of  life.  I  lose  my  clearness  and  my  freedom  in 
cities  and  in  the  abodes  of  men ;  but  I  will  before  Ions;  come 


THE  DESERT  237 

near  to  Jordan,  and  be  in  my  old  place  at  Bctliabura. 
There  I  can  live  my  own  life  and  still  be  in  touch  with  the 
people.  Perhaps  I  am  over  persuaded  by  3'ou  in  this ; 
but  if  so,  it  will  be  shown  us  in  due  time. 

"  I  cannot  get  over  the  feeling  that  it  is  you,  rather 
than  I,  who  should  take  up  this  work.  These  years  of 
solitary  study  and  self-examination  would  be  vain  if  they 
had  not  taught  me  self-knowledge,  if  they  had  not  given 
ine  a  true  measure  of  myself  and  of  you.  You  I  have 
known  from  childhood,  I  have  studied  you,  and  compared 
you  with  all  the  men  I  have  known,  and  I  cannot  be  wrong 
in  believing  you,  above  all  others,  fitted  for  this  work. 
You  have  a  tone  of  voice,  a  presence,  a  manner,  that  fixes 
and  commands  attention,  and  gives  authority  to  what  you 
say.  You  remember  how  old  Menahem  was  impressed,  and 
prophesied  of  you,  when,  as  young  lads,  we  wandered 
away  to  the  Essenes,  twenty  years  ago;  and  Addi,  when 
d^'ing,  called  for  you  again  and  again,  and  with  his  last 
breath  murmured  prophetic  words  concerning  you  that 
seemed  to  mean  that  you  would  be  a  messenger  of  God  to 
Israel.  I  am  willing  to  bear  my  part,  and  do  all  I  can; 
but  it  should  be  as  your  helper  and  follower,  and  not  as 
your  leader." 

It  was  Jesus'  turn  to  be  absorbed  and  silent,  and  for  a 
time  his  e3'es  were  dreamy  and  vacant.  "  You  and  I,"  he 
said  at  length,  "  have  been  friends  from  childhood,  and  it 
is  due  that  I  make  a  clean  breast  of  it,  and  tell  you  just 
why  I  refuse  at  present  to  go  forward  in  any  public  work. 
The  truth  is,  I  am  not  clear  in  my  own  mind  where  the 
true  way  lies,  and  until  I  am  it  is  useless,  and  even  wrong, 
to  take  any  definite  stand.  I  want  to  be  sure  I  am  right, 
and  when  I  am, —  when  I  am  free  from  doubt, —  I  shall 
not  shrink.  Your  idea  of  repentance  and  good  works 
may  be  all  that  is  needed;  it  is  certainly  good,  as  far  as  it 
goes.  Your  absolute  faith  in  it  lends  it  authority  and 
power.     Your  light  is  a  true  light,  even  if  it  be  not  the 


238  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

tehole  light,  and  you  have  no  right  to  keep  it  to  yourself  or 
to  hide  it  under  a  bushel.  If  God  has  given  you  a  light 
to  lighten  the  world,  you  are  bound  to  put  it  on  a  candle- 
stick that  it  may  shine  into  the  dark.  My  light,  if  I  have 
any,  still  smoulders  and  smokes :  it  has  not  yet  burst  into 
flame." 

Absorbed  in  these  thoughts,  the  two  men  had  forgotten 
the  scorpion,  which  still  lay  asleep,  and  Jesus  unconsciously 
partly  closing  his  hand,  the  reptile,  aroused  on  the  instant 
fierce  and  bristling,  lashed  its  tail  and  inflicted  a  wound  on 
Jesus'  hand.  Jesus  calmly  shook  it  off",  and  John,  re- 
gardless of  remonstrance,  crushed  it  with  a  stone. 

"  And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman, 
and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed ;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head, 
and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel,"  John  repeated  solemnly, — ■ 
then  added,  "  There  is  more  in  that,  perhaps,  than  we 
think." 


XXVI 
TARICHEA 

"  The  disciples  may  have  had  business  connections  here,  since  the 
place  was  the  great  central  depot  for  selling  and  preparing  the  fish 
for  export." —  Edersiieim. 

It  is  time  to  make  a  new  survey.  Old  landmarks  be- 
come wasted  and  disappear,  and  new  ones  take  their  place. 
Old  trees  are  cut  down,  and  new  ones  spring  up. 

Twenty  years  have  past  since  our  story  began.  The 
old  have  died,  the  young  have  grown  aged.  Children  have 
become  mature.  Change  is  written  on  the  sky  above  every 
terrestrial  scene.  To  the  eye  of  faith  and  aspiration  it 
is  the  Bow  of  Promise ;  to  the  eye  of  the  sick  and  worn-out 
worldling,  the  rich,  the  great,  the  proud,  it  is  the  fire- 
cloud  above  the  volcano,  the  awful  threat  and  signal  of 
conflagration  and  ruin. 

Revolutions,  both  political  and  religious,  have  been  at 
work  in  the  world  for  ages.  More  properly  it  may  be  said, 
revolutions,  like  winds  and  waves  and  tides,  and  heat  and 
cold,  are  always  at  work.  They  move  at  first  as  slowly 
and  imperceptibly  as  the  glacier,  then  at  last  as  swiftly  as 
the  avalanche.  Revolution  in  the  political  world  had  be- 
gun with  Hannibal  and  the  Scipios,  and  so  in  the  religious 
world,  with  King  Asoka  of  India  and  his  Buddhist  propa- 
ganda. It  is  said  that  the  missionaries  of  Asoka  pene- 
trated to  China  and  Japan  on  the  east,  and  westward  to 
Greece,  Italy,  and  Egypt. 

We  speak  in  common  parlance  of  political  and  religious 
revolutions.  If,  however,  we  delve  deep  down  to  the  roots 
of  things,  we  shall  find  that  both  are  one.  The  main  tap- 
root, to  which  all  others  are  joined  and  are  tributary,  is 
Religion.     As  a  man  in  the  inmost  heart  of  him  believes 

239 


240  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

about  God  and  his  own  soul,  so  is  he.  As  manners  maketh 
the  superficial,  outward  man,  so  Religion  maketh  the  in- 
ward spiritual  man ;  and  as  the  man  is  spiritually,  so  is  he 
in  all  ways. 

Carlyle  has  figured  "  the  stern  Avatur  of  Democracy  be- 
ginning its  world-thrilling  birth  and  battle  song  "  so  late 
as  A.  D.  1776,  and  gives  it  two  centuries  to  make  circuit 
of  the  earth.  We  may  well  enough  allow  that  the  young 
giant  was  then  born;  but  he  was  conceived  in  the  long, 
long  ago,  and  gestation  here,  as  with  all  great  things,  has 
been  slow,  very  slow. 

Democracy  was  conceived  when  the  great  Hebrew  Law- 
giver decreed  the  Jubilee  Year,  and  proclaimed :  "  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  '  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.'  " 
Modern  Democracy  had  its  origin  in  a  revival  of  Religion, 
in  Puritanism,  the  Puritanism  of  John  Knox  and  the 
Covenanters.  It  has  never  flourished  except  as  a  Religion, 
and  all  inferences  and  analogies  point  but  one  way:  It 
never  will  flourish  otherwise.  When  John  Baptist  came 
preaching  in  the  Wilderness  of  Judea,  it  was  a  revival  of 
Religion,  but  also  of  Democracy, —  and  Democracy  of  so 
radical  a  type  as  to  be  regarded  by  the  rich  and  the  great, 
the  rulers  and  the  priests,  even  of  that  day  as  rank  social- 
ism. "  He  that  hath  two  coats,  let  him  impart  to  him  that 
hath  none ;  and  he  that  hath  meat,  let  him  do  likewise," 
was  his  cry.  And  it  was  the  poor  and  the  lowly,  even  as 
Jesus  said,  "  the  publicans  and  harlots,"  who  believed  him, 
while  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  turned  away.  Last  but 
not  least,  John  Baptist  was  beheaded  and  Jesus  crucified, 
not  for  their  religion,  but  for  their  politics, —  a  very  sig- 
nificant fact. 

But  to  return  to  our  narrative.  Many  changes,  as  we 
were  remarking,  had  taken  place  since  the  beginning  of 
our  story. 

Father   Joazer   and   the   Rabbi   Sadduc   are  both   dead. 


TARICHEA  S4.1 

At  the  humble  fisherman's  cottage  in  Bethsaida,  wliere 
Joazer  and  his  father  before  him  had  lived  and  died  amid 
their  boats  and  nets,  our  old  acquaintance  Zebedee  now 
resides  with  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  Salome  and 
two  sons,  James  and  John, —  young  men  now,  and  learned 
in  all  the  arts  of  the  fisher's  craft.  They  are  associated 
with  others  in  the  business,  with  old  Jonas  and  his  two 
sons,  Simon  and  Andrew,  and  with  Philip,  a  near  friend. 

This  Bethsaida  is  a  suburb  of  Capernaum,  and  the  name 
being  interpreted,  as  the  learned  tell  us,  is  really  Fisher- 
ton.  It  is  a  village  made  up  of  fishermen  and  their  fami- 
lies. Capernaum,  a  city  of  wealth  and  elegance,  does  not 
allow  fishermen  to  reside  within  its  precincts.  The  dirt 
and  slime  and  fishy  smells  of  their  calling  are  confined  to 
their  own  quarter  of  Bethsaida. 

The  business  of  fishing  has  been  growing  worse, —  less 
and  less  remunerative  in  these  late  years.  The  great  mer- 
chants and  dealers,  like  Hippo,  with  their  exclusive  rights 
and  monopolies  bought  of  their  rulers,  have  drawn  the  lines 
gradually  tighter,  till  the  poor  fishermen  are  little  more 
than  bondsmen  to  the  rich  monger  who  controls  the  entire 
sale.  An  effort  has  been  made  to  unite  all  the  fishermen 
of  Galilee  in  a  bond  or  guild  against  the  merchants,  but 
it  has  availed  little.  The  poverty,  destitution,  and  squalor 
of  Fisherton  and  of  all  the  fishermen's  villages  along  the 
lake  shore  have  grown  worse  rather  than  better. 

At  Tarichea,  or  Pickling  Town,  a  village  of  considerable 
size  south  of  Capernaum,  Hippo  has  established  a  great 
fish-curing  plant,  and  by  new  and  improved,  or  at  least 
labor-saving,  methods  has  nearly  extinguished  the  old  home 
industry ;  and  so  now  the  greater  part  of  the  fish  caught 
in  the  lake  are  unloaded  at  Hippo's  wharfs  at  Tarichea. 

Armed  with  a  letter  of  introduction  from  the  Roman 
Governor  of  Tiberias,  we  will  make  bold  to  call  upon 
Hippo  at  his  office  near  the  wharf.  Here  we  see 
many  busy  clerks  witli  pale,  sickly  faces,  leaning  over  their 


242  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

books,  with  reed  pens.  The  tall  Israelite  who  seems  to  be 
the  head  man  informs  us  that  Hippo  is  not  yet  in.  His 
office  hours,  he  says,  are  from  the  fourth  to  the  sixth,  and 
again  from  the  tenth  to  the  twelfth;  and  so,  as  it  is  still 
early,  we  will  go  down  upon  the  wharf  to  see  the  unloading 
and  weighing  of  last  night's  catch.  There  are  perhaps 
one  hundred  boats  waiting,  some  of  them  loaded  to  their 
utmost  capacity  with  a  variety  of  fish,  and  others  with 
only  a  mere  handful  of  small  herrings  to  show  for  their 
all-night's  labor.  There  is  no  wind  and  the  lake  is  still, 
and  the  motionless  boats  lie  closely  packed  against  the  great 
stone  pier,  while  the  men  and  boys  of  the  fleet  lounge  in 
groups  on  the  wharf  or  lie  asleep  in  the  sun,  stretched  on 
the  nets  piled  on  the  sterns  of  their  boats.  They  are  a 
rough,  hairy,  almost  savage-looking  set  of  men,  such  in- 
deed as  fishermen  seem  always  to  have  been,  and  such  as  we 
may  see  to-day  in  the  coast  villages  of  Newfoundland  and 
Chesapeake  Bay.  A  few  are  unloading  their  fish  at  the 
door  of  the  great  warehouse,  where  the  fish  are  sorted  and 
weighed;  but  it  is  a  slow  process,  and  the  greater  part 
have  to  wait. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  wharf,  where  it  spreads  out  into  a 
large  platform,  there  are  quite  a  number  of  persons  con- 
gregated. Several  of  the  fishermen  have  here  unloaded 
their  nets,  and  are  looking  them  over  and  mending  them 
while  waiting.  One  of  these  we  at  once  recognize  as  our 
old  acquaintance  Zebedee.  He  is  now  a  grizzled,  middle- 
aged  man,  and  with  him  helping  mend  the  nets  is  another 
elderly  man,  whom  Zebedee  addresses  as  Jonas.  There 
are  four  or  five  young  fellows,  some  of  them  still  in  their 
teens,  who  help  overhaul  the  nets  while  the  older  men  do 
the  mending. 

And  now,  approaching  from  across  the  lake,  eastward, 
appears  a  small  boat,  propelled  by  oars.  There  are  two 
persons  in  it ;  and  while  it  is  yet  some  distance  away,  Simon 
declares  that  the  two  persons  are  Jesus  and  Jacobus.    "  You 


TARICHEA  243 

can  tell  Jacobus  by  his  size,  and  Jesus, —  I  don't  know  just 
how  I  can  tell  him,  but  it's  he, —  I'll  bet  my  amulet  against 
a  copper  gerah." 

The  announcement  of  Simon  arouses  considerable  in- 
terest on  the  wharf,  and  all  eyes  are  at  once  fixed  on  the 
approaching  craft.  Soon  it  is  near  enough  to  confirm 
Simon's  surmise,  and  a  crowd  at  once  gathers  at  the  end 
of  the  wharf  to  receive  the  visitors.  A  strange  silence 
falls  as  Jesus  and  Jacobus  come  up  out  of  their  boat.  The 
young  men  have  suddenly  become  attentive ;  the  old  men 
have  laid  aside  their  work,  and  the  most  indolent  lounger 
is  aroused  and  interested.  There  are  no  hand-shakings  or 
embracings,  but  Zebedee  and  Jonas,  with  other  old  men, 
return  the  visitors'  salutation  of  "  Peace  be  with  thee,"  by 
profound  obeisance  and  a  return  of  "  Peace."  Then  all 
stand  silent  waiting  for  Jesus  to  speak. 

"  I  think  all  of  you  know,  or  at  least  have  seen,  the 
Nazarite,  John  of  Hebron.  You  know  his  holy  life  and 
his  love  for  Israel.  When  he  abode  at  Bethabara  beyond 
Jordan,  many  of  you  went  out  to  see  him  and  to  hear 
him  show  forth  the  things  that  are  shortly  to  appear. 
Some  of  you  are  already  his  disciples.  For  some  time 
past  I  have  been  with  John  on  the  extreme  borders  of  the 
desert,  beyond  Ramotli  Gilead.  Ere  long  he  purposeth 
to  come  again  to  his  old  place  at  Bethabara,  and  will  then 
teach  more  boldly  and  openly  than  in  times  past.  I  have 
urged  him  to  this  course,  as  has  also  Jacobus,  who  was 
with  him  for  a  season,  and  we  have  promised  him  to  stir  up 
the  people  to  go  out  and  listen  to  him.  That  John  is  a 
true  messenger  of  God  both  Jacobus  and  I  believe.  He 
is  that  prophet  spoken  of  by  Esaias,  '  The  voice  of  one 
crying  in  the  wilderness.  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
make  His  paths  straight.'  Heretofore,  through  all  his 
life,  John  has  been  so  intently  looking  for  the  coming  of 
that  prophet  who  is  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  Messiah 
that  he  has  not  thought  of  himself  as  that  prophet.     He 


244  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

can  hardly  believe  it  jet,  and  refuses  to  be  ranked  with 
the  prophets  of  old.  What  the  design  of  God  is  in  all 
this,  we  do  not  jet  know.  The  wisest  of  our  Rabbis  are 
not  agreed  except  in  this,  that  the  times  spoken  of  by  the 
ancient  prophets  are  surelj  at  hand,  that  the  Messiah  will 
shortlj  appear,  and  that  all  things  will  be  changed." 

Jesus  paused  and  looked  around,  and  before  he  could 
commence  again  Jonas  called  out,  sajing,  "  Rabbi,  what 
thinkest  thou;  will  the  Messiah  be  a  king  and  a  man  of 
war  like  David,  or  a  Judge  like  Samuel.?  " 

"  Call  me  not  Rabbi,  friend  Jonas,"  answered  Jesus, 
simplj.  "  I  believe  with  Jacobus  that  one  onlj  is  our 
master,  even  God.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  at  Jerusalem 
are  called  of  men  Rabbi,  and  I  am  not  as  thej.  Let  us 
think  of  all  men  as  brethren.  As  to  thj  question  about 
the  Messiah,  I  cannot  answer  it.  We  only  know  that  he 
will  be  the  friend  of  the  poor  and  the  lowlj,  for  it  is  writ- 
ten concerning  him,  '  He  will  save  the  afflicted  people,  and 
will  bring  down  high  looks ;  he  will  heal  the  broken  hearted, 
and  set  at  libert  j  them  that  are  bruised.'  " 

"  Jacobus  has  told  us  that  the  Messiah  will  be  a  man  of 
war,  who  will  destroy  the  heathen  as  grasshoppers,  and  so 
doth  thy  brother  Jude,"  answered  Jonas.  "  What  doth 
John  of  Hebron  teach  .-^  " 

"  John  of  Hebron  is  silent  about  all  this,"  answered 
Jesus.  "  It  has  been  the  subject  of  great  searchings  of 
heart  with  John,  as  with  us  all,  but  he  says  that  this  is 
one  of  the  things  that  God  has  kept  back  from  men  and 
angels.  We  certainly  know  only  that  the  Messiah  will 
redeem  Israel ;  by  what  means  and  in  what  way  no  man  will 
know  till  the  Messiah  himself  appears." 

While  Jesus  was  speaking  a  patrol  of  a  dozen  Roman 
soldiers  appeared  at  the  other  end  of  the  wharf  and  be- 
gan making  their  tour  of  inspection.  At  the  same  mo- 
ment, a  peculiar  warning  cry  sounded  along  the  wharf. 
Jesus   ceased   speaking   and   turned  to   Jacobus,   who   sat 


TARICHEA  245 

screened  by  a  pile  of  baled  merchandise.  The  giant  at 
once  rose  to  his  feet  and  scanned  the  approaching  patrol, 
their  arms  and  armor  and  all  their  brave  attire  flashing 
and  glittering  in  the  sun,  with  a  lofty  glance  of  hatred 
and  contempt. 

"  You  will  have  to  go,"  said  Jesus,  putting  a  firm  hand 
on  the  mighty  bare  arm  of  Jacobus.  "  Think  what  ruin 
resistance  would  bring  to  these  poor  fishermen  and  their 
families." 

"  No !  Let  me  alone ! "  answered  Jacobus,  fiercely. 
"  How  can  a  son  of  Judas  fly  from  such  a  handful  of  hire- 
lings? Make  way,  and  I  will  give  their  flesh  to  the  fish 
of  the  sea  and  to  the  fowls  of  the  air." 

"  Thou  hast  found  my  counsel  good  in  times  past," 
answered  Jesus.  "  Trust  me  now  in  this.  Go,  and  go 
quickly,"  and  Jesus  almost  forcibly  pushed  Jacobus  to- 
wards the  boat,  and  when  he  was  entered  pushed  the  boat 
off. 

By  this,  the  soldiers  had  got  sight  of  Jacobus'  well- 
known  form,  and  hailed  him  with  threatenings  and  vile 
language.  Then  they  seized  an  empty  fishing  boat  and 
prepared  for  pursuit.  Meantime  Jacobus,  with  his  face 
to  the  foe,  rowed  slowly  away,  and  when  he  had  gained 
a  hundred  yards  or  more  in  the  offing,  he  ceased  rowing 
and  stood  up ;  then  it  was  perceived  that  he  was  armed  with 
a  sling  and  stones. 

A  moment  he  poised  himself  on  his  unstable  footing. 
Then  with  a  swift  whirl  of  his  right  arm  he  sent  a  stone 
from  his  sling  that  struck  the  leading  Roman  on  the  head, 
crushing  through  helm  and  bone  like  a  bolt  from  a  balista. 
Another  and  another  stone  followed  in  quick  succession, 
and  with  unerring  aim.  Three  Romans  were  laid  low,  and 
the  rest,  appalled  by  an  attack  so  sudden  and  resistless, 
abandoned  the  boat  and  precipitously  sought  shelter  be- 
hind the  bales  of  merchandise.  When  Jacobus  saw  his 
enemies    thus    discomfited,    he    raised    his    hand    towards 


246  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

heaven,  and  his  great  voice  rolled  and  echoed  back  from 
tower  and  crag  and  rocky  shore :  "  Mi  camochah  baclim 
Jehovah."  (Who  like  thee  among  the  gods,  Jehovah!) 
This  old  Maccabean  war-cry,  known  to  every  Jew  and 
sounded  with  such  power,  aroused  Pickling  Town  like  a 
cry  of  fire. 

Men,  women,  and  children  rush  into  the  streets  and  to- 
wards the  water's  edge,  gesticulating  and  clamoring,  and 
even  the  dull,  tired  clerks  in  Hippo's  great  warehouse 
throng  to  windows  and  doorways,  eager  to  know  the  reason 
for  the  great  war-cry.  But  Jacobus  does  not  heed,  and 
taking  again  the  oars,  he  rows  rapidly  away  towards  the 
wild  land  of  Gadara  and  the  eastern  shore. 

Twenty  years  ago  Hippo  went  to  his  business  riding  a 
mule  or  an  ass,  or  even  on  foot.  Now  he  has  grown  so 
fat  and  clumsy  he  never  walks,  but  rides  in  a  wheeled  car 
that  sustains  a  couch,  with  canopy,  on  which  he  reclines. 
By  connivance  with  the  authorities  he  has  succeeded  in 
getting  a  special  tax  levied,  an  octroi,  at  Capernaum,  at 
Tarichea,  and  at  other  towns,  for  making  a  smooth,  paved 
way  from  Tiberias,  where  he  lives,  to  Tarichea,  where  the 
main  branch  of  his  business  is.  This  road  is  also  con- 
venient for  Honorius,  Nicias,  and  other  wealthy  gentle- 
men of  leisure  who  reside  at  Tiberias.  They  have  made  it 
a  place  of  fashionable  resort  in  late  afternoons,  and  its 
use  has  been  forbidden  for  ox-carts  and  pack  animals. 

We  are  in  waiting  outside  when  Hippo  comes  up.  Two 
lackeys  assist  him  to  descend,  and  then  we  present  our  let- 
ter. Hippo  glances  at  it  long  enough  to  get  its  import, 
and  with  smiling  courtesy  bids  us  welcome.  "  I  shall 
deem  it  an  honor,"  he  says,  "  to  show  you  gentlemen 
through  my  warehouses,  and  to  give  you  any  information 
I  can.     But  you  will  excuse  me  one  moment." 

Then  with  a  countenance  changed  to  harsh  and  cruel 


TARICHEA  247 

sternness,  he  turns  to  the  half  dozen  servants  in  waiting, 
who  all  at  once  cast  themselves  on  their  knees,  with  faces 
to  the  ground,  at  his  feet.  One  only,  apparently  the 
head  servant  and  a  Zidonian,  remains  upright  on  his  knees, 
and  to  him  Hippo  speaks.  "  This  dog  of  a  Jew,"  he  says, 
pointing  to  one  of  the  groveling  forms  at  his  feet,  "  has 
grown  lazy  and  worthless.  Give  him  forty  lashes,  and  see 
it  be  done  thoroughly." 

We  noticed  the  man  when  he  came  up  as  an  attendant 
upon  Hippo,  a  sallow,  weak,  emaciated  figure,  staggering 
under  an  overload  of  bales  and  bundles.  Now  he  raises 
himself  upon  his  knees,  and  with  hands  crossed  upon  his 
breast,  with  streaming  eyes,  and  an  agonized  face,  cries 
out,  "  Oh !  have  mercy,  my  master !  have  mercy !  If  I 
stumbled  and  burst  the  wine  bottle,  it  was  because  I  was 
sick  and  weak.  My  wife  and  child  lie  dying  with  fever; 
and  now  many  nights  I  have  been  with  them  watching,  and 
by  day  working  for  my  lord.  Oh !  scourge  me  not !  but 
kill  me  rather,  and  let  there  be  an  end." 

To  us,  there  is  the  pathos  of  truth  in  the  man's  appeal; 
but  Hippo  is  unmoved,  and  charging  the  Zidonian  to  ex- 
ecute his  order,  turns  again  to  us  smiling,  and  leads  the 
way  up  the  polished  marble  steps  to  his  elegant  and  luxuri- 
ous sanctum.  "  They  are  all  such  liars  and  thieves,"  he 
murmurs,  "  I  don't  wonder  the  old  Spartans  had  to  kill 
them  off  occasionally,  and  the  Romans  feed  them  to  the 
fish  in  their  ponds.  One  grows  weary  of  dealing  with  such 
brutes." 

The  large,  high-vaulted  room  into  which  we  are  ushered 
is  furnished,  ornamented,  and  adorned  with  a  costliness 
and  magnificence  that  astonishes  us.  There  are  rare 
marble  vases  and  statuary,  and  rich  divans  sufficient  to  ac- 
commodate a  considerable  company. 

Refreshments  of  rare  old  wines,  honey  cakes,  and  con- 
serves of  figs  are  brought  by  a  female  slave,  and  at  once 


248  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  sociable  Grecian  spirit  of  our  host  blossoms  out  into  a 
charming  geniality  and  friendliness  that  will  explain  to  us 
Hippo's  great  popularity  with  Antipas  and  his  set. 

Our  pleasant  conversation  is  interrupted  at  first  by 
screams,  as  of  agony,  coming  up  from  subterranean  re- 
gions some  distance  away,  and  Hippo,  pausing  a  moment  to 
listen,  interjects  the  remark  that  his  orders  are  being  ex- 
ecuted. We  had  indicated  that  the  object  of  our  visit  was 
to  make  some  inquiries  about  business  conditions  and  social 
questions,  and  Hippo,  apparently  glad  of  an  opportunity 
to  express  his  views,  went  on  with  great  volubility :  "  It 
is  true,  as  you  say,  there  is  no  doubt  much  dissatisfaction 
among  the  people;  there  always  was,  and  always  will  be, 
no  matter  how  well  they  are  off, —  and  Antipas  thinks  there 
are  evidences  of  deep-laid  schemes  of  sedition  and  rebellion. 
He  sees  a  sword  of  Damocles  hanging  over  him  continually 
in  the  vague  unrest  of  the  people,  and  especially  in  their 
wild  fanaticism  about  what  they  call  a  Messiah,  a  King,  as 
I  understand  it,  to  be  sent  by  God,  who  is  to  abolish  and 
put  aside  all  existing  laws  and  government,  and  with  these 
miserable  Jews  as  lords  over  all  to  rule  the  world.  Ha! 
Ha !  Honorius  and  I  laugh  at  Antipas  for  his  ridiculous 
fears,  but  he  still  insists  that  there  is  trouble  brewing;  so 
he  has  his  spies  out  everywhere,  and  they  have  smelled 
out  what  Antipas  thinks  may  be  some  fearsome  thing,  in  a 
miserable,  naked  starveling  of  a  Jew  called  John  of 
Hebron,  who  lives  alone  in  some  sort  of  wild  beast  den  in 
the  desert,  for  the  most  part,  but  has  disciples, —  and 
comes  sometimes  himself  among  the  slaves  and  fishermen 
and  lowest  class  of  people  here  in  Galilee.  Then  there  is 
one  Jesus,  a  carpenter,  who  is  said  to  be  a  leading  disciple 
of  this  John.  And  all  are  connected,  Antipas  thinks,  with 
the  Zealots  and  the  sons  of  that  arch  conspirator  and  rob- 
ber, Judas  the  Gaulonite. 

"  This  affair  on  the  wharf  here  this  morning, —  three 
soldiers  killed  by  that  giant  Jacobus, —  will  give  Antipas 


TARICHEA  249 

fresh  grounds  of  fear;  but  it  ought  not.  This  Jacobus  is 
only  a  robber,  and  has  no  following  to  speak  of.  The 
fi.shcrmcn  and  shepherds  of  the  mountains  give  him  shelter 
and  sustenance,  but  it  is  only  blackmail.  Jacobus  and  his 
band  do  not  prey  upon  them,  and  they  pay  for  the  ex- 
emption in  friendly  offices." 

We  inquired  about  the  fishermen  and  their  condition, 
and  of  the  business  situation  in  the  country  generally. 
Hippo   poured  a  fresh  glass  of  Falernian  and  went  on. 

"  Taking  a  broad  view  of  these  matters  you  speak  of, 
there  is  no  question  among  well  informed  men  but  that 
general  conditions  are  everywhere  improving.  The  do- 
minion of  Rome  has  been  cruel  and  crushing,  in  a  sense; 
and  the  extinction  of  nationalities,  as  with  Greece  and  the 
Jews,  has  borne  hard  on  national  pride  and  prejudice. 
But  upon  the  whole  it  has  been  highly  beneficent.  It  has 
broadened  men's  lives  by  extending  the  field  of  their  activ- 
ity. Trade  and  commerce  have  been  immensely  stimulated 
and  enlarged.  The  diverse  elements  (once  warring  and 
discordant)  that  compose  the  world  are  now  mingled  in 
peaceful  intercourse.  Where  there  were  once  a  hundred 
petty  states,  ignorant  of  each  other,  jealous,  envious,  and 
warring,  there  is  now  one  all-embracing  State,  with  the 
will  and  the  authority  to  break  down  artificial  walls  of 
separation,  to  secure  tranquillity,  and  to  afford  protection. 
Before  Ca?sar's  time,  no  ship  could  sail  the  waters  of  the 
Great  Sea  without  paying  tribute  to  pirates.  Traveling 
abroad,  either  by  sea  or  land,  was  dangerous  to  liberty 
and  even  life.  A  man  out  of  his  own  country  was  in  con- 
stant peril  of  being  robbed  of  his  possessions  and  of  being 
sold  into  slavery.  Now  all  this  is  changed.  There  is 
protection  everywhere ;  the  central  principle  of  Imperial- 
ism extends  into  all  departments,  into  all  the  activities  of 
life.  The  master  minds  of  the  world  have  scope  and  lati- 
tude ;  their  field,  no  longer  a  city  or  a  province,  is  the 
Empire, —  and  see  what  is  being  accomplished. 


^50  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  Captains  of  industry,  by  system  and  organization,  are 
multiplying  the  products  of  labor,  which  Merchant  Princes 
are  distributing  for  the  good  of  all  the  world.  The  aim- 
less or  ill-directed  labor  of  the  brutish  mass  is  receiving 
intelligent  control  and  direction.  Saramalla,  the  Jew  of 
Antioch,  gives  employment  to  thousands.  So  with  Alexan- 
der, the  Arabarch  of  Alexandria,  Sanballat  of  Damascus, 
and  many  others  I  could  name.  They  give  employment 
to  thousands  of  the  poor, —  directing  their  labor  and  adding 
greatly  to  its  efficiency.  Some  of  them  already,  as  Alexan- 
der of  Alexandria  and  Saramalla  of  Antioch,  are  the  richest 
men  in  the  world.  They  lend  money  to  kings.  They  are 
the  truly  Great  Ones  of  earth.  Even  the  greatest  warriors 
must  yield  to  them.  Caesar  himself  was  a  tributary  of 
Crassus, —  dependent  upon  his  wealth." 

Here  Hippo  paused  a  moment  to  take  a  sip  of  wine, 
and  we  hastened  to  interpose  the  inquiry  for  which  we  had 
specially  come.  We  desired  information  about  Hippo's 
own  business  and  the  condition  of  those  engaged  under  him. 
We  had  been  informed  that  there  was  great  poverty  and 
suffering  and  much  discontent  among  the  fishermen ;  also, 
that  the  product  of  Hippo's  establishment  was  less  whole- 
some than  formerly,  when  the  fish  were  cured  at  home  in 
the  fishermen's  families.  This  we  told  Hippo  as  delicately 
as  we  could,  but  it  seemed  to  excite  him  unaccountably. 
Fat  and  heavy  as  he  was,  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  waddled 
back  and  forth  while  he  talked  in  a  high  key  and  with 
great  animation. 

"  All  that  is  a  slander  gotten  up  by  those  vile  Zealots," 
he  asserted,  growing  more  red  in  the  face  and  shaking  his 
fist,  "  and  I  tell  you  what  I  have  told  Antipas  a  hundred 
times,  that  these  fishermen  are  about  the  only  Zealots,  they 
and  the  slaves  and  starveling  shepherds  and  grubbers,  who 
own  nothing  and  have  nothing  at  stake.  They  imagine 
they  were  better  off  in  some  far-away  legendary  time,  when 
the  lazy  do-nothings  could  sit  in  the  shade  and  have  their 


TARICHEA  251 

bellies  filled,  as  they  tell  about,  with  milk  and  honey. 
Milk  and  honey,"  repeated  Hippo,  with  great  scorn,  "  it 
shows  the  low  and  groveling  nature  of  these  Zealots,  that 
their  ideal  of  happiness  and  prosperity  is  so  low.  They 
would  abolish  all  great  cities,  all  theaters  and  games,  de- 
stroy all  paintings  and  works  of  art,  and  living,  as  they 
say,  each  under  his  own  vine  and  fig  tree,  be  content,  like 
mere  sheep  in  rich  pastures.  They  would  not  have  even  a 
king  of  their  own  choosing,  but,  as  I  am  informed,  have  got 
the  silly  notion  that  all  men  are  equal  and  should  live  to- 
gether like  brothers.  Now  you  can  see  that  men  with  such 
insane  notions  as  these  are  certain  to  have  wrong  ideas 
about  everything.  They  don't  know  when  they  are  well 
off.     Now  let  me  tell  you  all  about  it. 

"  When  I  came  here,  thirty-five  or  forty  years  ago,  the 
fish  business  was  in  the  most  confused  and  disorganized 
condition  imaginable.  There  was  no  order  or  system. 
Each  fisherman  took  care  of  and  marketed  his  own  catch, 
that  is,  he  and  his  family, —  for  wife  and  children  were  as 
much  engaged  in  the  general  business  as  the  man  himself. 
The  fish  were  cured  and  prepared  for  market  in  every 
household,  and  by  methods  as  old  as  Hercules  or  Saturn, 
for  aught  any  one  knows.  Then  the  marketing  was  done 
in  the  same  loose  way.  With  an  ass's  load  apiece,  a  half 
dozen  of  these  starveling  fishermen,  sometimes  with  their 
wives  and  even  whole  families,  would  start  out  for  Damas- 
cus or  Jerusalem ;  and  to  sell  that  ass's  load  of  fish  they 
would  be  gone  a  week,  two  weeks,  or  even  a  month, — 
they  didn't  care  how  long:  they  had  no  regard  for  time. 
They  took  along  their  flutes,  guitars,  or  tambourines,  and 
stopping,  maj'be  for  days,  by  wells  of  water  in  pleasant 
shady  places  or  perhaps  at  some  grove  on  a  hill  top,  where 
was  a  shrine  or  Mazar,  as  they  call  it,  they  prayed  and 
made  offerings  and  sang  and  danced  and  ate  their  barley 
bread  and  drank  their  sour  wine,  and  made  a  regular  picnic 
of  it. 


252  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  Now  it  is  easy  to  see  that  under  such  a  system  it  took 
three  or  four  times  as  many  people  to  carry  on  the  busi- 
ness as  was  necessary ;  there  was  a  great  waste  of  time  and 
labor.  I  saw  this,  and  with  a  permit  from  Herod,  who 
was  then  King,  and  for  which  you  may  know  I  paid  a 
round  sum,  I  established  a  general  market  and  curing  es- 
tablishment, first  in  Capernaum  and  afterwards  here.  And 
now  see  what  I  have  accomplished.  By  organization,  im- 
proved methods,  and  by  making  the  business  an  industry 
instead  of  a  pastime,  I  have  doubled  the  product  of  the 
fisheries,  while  at  the  same  time  diminishing  the  numbers 
engaged  in  it, —  thereby  releasing  many  men  and  their 
families  to  engage  in  other  productive  employments. 

"  I  have  introduced  great  improvements  in  the  curing 
of  fish,  so  that  now  all  this  work,  or  nearly  all,  has  been 
taken  away  from  the  household  and  concentrated  in  my 
establishment  here.  I  must  show  you  through  my  works 
before  you  leave,  and  let  you  see  what  intelligent  control 
and  supervision  have  accomplished.  We  cure  the  fish  in 
half  the  time  it  took  formerly,  and  we  put  it  on  the  market 
in  far  more  attractive  form.  By  an  arrangement  with  the 
great  dealers  in  Tyre,  Sidon,  and  other  cities  of  the  sea- 
coast,  the  price  is  regulated  in  a  way  to  secure  justice  and 
stability.  As  to  the  condition  of  the  fishermen  and  their 
families,  if  there  is  poverty  and  suffering  it  is  their  own 
fault.  Those  who  obstinately  refuse  to  accept  the  changed 
conditions  and  still  strive  to  carry  on  their  business  in  the 
old  way  are,  of  course,  losers.  They  are  the  victims  of 
their  own  folly  and  deserve  to  suffer.  The  contention  that 
fish  cured  by  my  new  process  is  not  as  wholesome  as  that 
prepared  in  households  in  the  old  way,  is  preposterous. 
The  ingredients  used  by  me,  in  addition  to  salt,  are  a  secret 
known  only  to  a  few  men  in  the  world,  and  is  carefully 
guarded.  These  ingredients  are  not,  as  is  asserted,  at  all 
harmful  when  used  properly  and  in  the  small  quantities 
required.     I  have  myself  eaten  of  fish  so  cured,  and  in  the 


TARICHEA  253 

presence  of  my  servants  and  others,  to  show  that  there 
is  nothing  harmful  in  it." 

Of  course  there  were  some  questions  suggested  by  Hip- 
po's discourse;  but  we  felt  that  they  were  likely  to  be  em- 
barrassing and  did  not  present  them.  On  the  contrary, 
almost  involuntarily,  and  following  the  custom  in  such 
cases,  we  found  ourselves  expressing  satisfaction  with 
Hippo's  account,  and  wondering  why  the  fishermen  should 
be  so  discontented. 

"  Wonder !  "  exclaimed  Hippo,  almost  shouting,  "  you 
needn't  wonder!  I  tell  you,  these  Hebrews  are  the  most 
perverse,  stubborn,  obstinate,  and  ungrateful  race  of  crea- 
tures that  the  gods  ever  permitted  to  exist  on  this  earth, — ■ 
permitted  to  exist,  I  say,  for  no  god  ever  had  anything 
to  do  with  their  making.  They  were  vomited  up  from  Tar- 
tarus, for  even  Pluto  couldn't  stand  them,  and  threw  them 
out.  After  all  I  have  done  for  them  they  are  ready  to 
take  my  life,  and  it  is  the  same  with  Antipas,  and  with 
Pilate  at  Jerusalem.  The  country  was  never  so  well  gov- 
erned and  never  so  prosperous  as  it  is  to-day.  See  what 
Antipas  has  done  at  Tiberias  and  Scpphoris,  and  Pilate  and 
other  Roman  Governors  at  Jerusalem  and  elsewhere;  and 
yet  these  accursed  Zealots  find  nothing  in  it  all  but  cause 
of  complaint.  And  it  is  a  fact  that  the  protection  Rome 
extends  to  the  life  and  liberty  of  these  miserable  creatures 
is  what  gives  them  most  offense.  If  it  were  not  for  Ro- 
man soldiers  at  Jerusalem  on  feast  days,  these  wild  fanatics 
would  be  butchering  each  other  about  the  very  altar  of 
their  god.  The}"-  have  attempted  it  often  and  often.  I 
have  heard  Pilate  say  so  myself.  Now  what  can  be  done 
with  such  animals !  " 

We  had  been  informed  that  Hippo's  head-steward  and 
most  of  his  chief  servants  were  Jews,  and  we  asked  him 
if  it  were  true.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  it  is  true ;  and  a  strange 
thing  it  is,  too.  But  I  find  it  is  so  everywhere;  even  at 
Tyre  and  in  Rome  Jews  are  everywhere  sought  as  chief 


S54  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

clerks  in  business  houses.  And  it  must  be  admitted, 
strange  as  it  may  appear,  that  they  are  really  more  honest 
and  trustworthy  than  any  other  class  of  men.  The  head 
of  the  great  firm  of  Hamilcan  at  Tyre  once  told  me 
that  without  Jewish  stewards  and  superintendents  they 
couldn't  do  business  and  would  have  to  retire." 


XXVII 
THE  BAPTISM  OF  JOHN 

"  And  the  two  disciples  heard  him  speak,  and  they  followed  Jesus." 
—  John  i,  37. 

In  accordance  with  his  promise  to  Jesus,  we  find  John 
in  his  old  haunt  near  the  Sea  of  Gahlee,  on  the  upper 
Jordan. 

From  vague  dreaming  and  rhapsody,  he  has  suddenly 
awakened  to  an  awful  reality  and  a  clear,  decisive  plan 
of  action.  The  words  of  Jesus,  "  If  Israel  must  first 
repent,  surely  the  thing  to  do  is  to  try,  by  every  means, 
to  cause  Israel  to  repent,"  had  suddenly  given  form  and 
substance  in  John's  mind  to  all  the  formless  visions  and  pas- 
sionate longings  of  a  lifetime.  It  was  so  plain,  so  simple, 
he  wondered  why  he  had  never  thought  of  it  before;  and 
now,  with  a  faith-like  sight,  he  believed  that  God,  in  the 
time  and  place  foreordained  from  the  creation  of  the 
world,  had  revealed  it  to  him,  for  the  salvation  of  Israel. 
He  it  was  who  was  called  of  God  to  cause  Israel  to  repent 
and  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  new  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

John  has  been  living  at  this  place  now  for  some  days, 
and  there  is  already  gathered  unto  him  a  considerable 
company  of  eager  and  enthusiastic  men  of  Galilee.  They 
are  all  of  the  same  class  as  those  whom  Jacobus  and  his 
emissaries  have  already  filled  with  discontent  and  wild  no- 
tions of  liberty  and  equality. 

As  in  all  times  and  cases,  it  is  those  who  suffer  that  are 
discontented,  and  who  seek  a  change.  The  rich,  the  great, 
the  powerful,  are  satisfied  with  things  as  they  are.  They 
deride  reform  as  the  vice  of  the  idle  and  profligate. 
Every  reformer  from  Noah  to  John  Brown  hath  a  Devil. 
Among  this  company  gathered  about  John  we  see  many 

255 


256  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

that  are  more  or  less  known  to  us.  There  are  the  two 
brothers  of  Jesus,  James  and  Jude,  Clopas,  Zebedee,  and 
Jonas,  with  their  sons,  also  their  friends  Philip  and  Na- 
thaniel, with  two  sons  of  Judas,  brothers  of  Jacobus. 
Even  the  implacable  Ehud,  having  gained  -from  rumor 
a  confused  notion  that  John  is  an  enemy  of  Rome,  is 
come  to  satisfy  himself  and  learn  if  there  is  anything 
to  be  hoped  for  in  this  new  voice  in  the  wilderness. 

To  all  these  simple  souls  gathered  about  John,  the 
desire,  the  want,  the  suffering  in  each  individual  were  the 
measure  and  the  motive  of  the  expectation.  Then,  as  now, 
where  there  was  no  suffering,  there  was  no  want,  no  desire, 
and  no  real  hope.  Then,  as  now.  and  ever,  suffering  was 
the  parent  of  faith  and  of  action;  ease,  the  parent  of 
doubt  and  atheism  and  the  harbinger  of  death. 

This  gathering  about  John  is  an  altogether  informal 
affair.  Like  Addi  and  the  Essenes,  with  whom  he  has 
long  been  associated,  John  continues  here  his  three  daily 
ablutions,  and  calls  upon  all  who  are  near  to  join  with 
him  in  repeating  at  the  stated  times  the  Shema  and  the 
Benedictions.  These,  with  secret  prayer  and  Scripture 
study,  take  up  much  of  his  time. 

The  indulgent,  easy-going  crowd  (this  being  a  Sabbatic 
year)  lounge  for  the  most  part  in  the  shade,  eating  their 
black  bread  and  drinking  their  sour  wine,  and  discussing 
—  alas !  we  are  sorry  to  say  —  not  so  much  religion  as 
politics.  Many,  indeed,  have  already  come  and  gone;  a 
few  well-to-do  shopkeepers  and  tradesmen,  officials  and 
rulers  of  synagogues,  the  "  Bathanim  "  or  men  of  leisure, 
drawn  by  curiosity,  have  come  and  looked  and,  without 
waiting  to  hear,  have  gone  away.  To  them  this  wild, 
hairy,  skin-clad  man  of  the  desert  is  but  a  demented  vision- 
ary,—  a  reed  shaken  by  the  wind.  They  have  no  desire 
to  hear  him.  To  those  who  do  stay  to  hear,  John  talks 
in  the  informal  Eastern  fashion,  sitting  on  a  stone  and 
answering  questions,  for  the  most  part,  of  men  sitting  on 


THE  BAPTISM  OF  JOHN  257 

the  ground,  or  coining  in  groups  to  ask  a  question  and  then 
going  away  again  to  discuss  and  reason  about  it  by 
themselves. 

As  we  join  the  group  about  John,  we  hear  Jonas  ask- 
ing, "  You  say  that  Israel  must  repent  before  the  Messiah 
can  come,  and  yet  the  good  Rabbi  Sadduc,  I  remember, 
once  told  us, —  and  that  was  many  years  ago, —  that  the 
Messiah  was  here  then." 

"  And  he  told  you  true,"  answers  John.  "  The  Mes- 
siah has  been  long  in  waiting  in  mountains  and  caves  and 
desert  places;  he  has  watched  and  waited,  sorrowing  and 
weeping  alone,  and  praying  that  Israel  might  repent." 
Then  raising  his  hand,  and  gazing  fixedly  towards  the 
mountains  and  the  rocky  gorge,  he  continued  solemnly, 
"  He  is  here  now.  He  knows  our  thoughts  and  listens  to 
our  words," 

Every  eye  is  at  once  turned  towards  the  dark  and 
cavernous  abyss  of  the  canyon  near  which  they  are,  and 
every  heart  almost  ceases  to  beat  in  expectation.  A  wan- 
dering wind  sighs  through  the  leaves  of  the  great  oak 
overhead,  and  moans  down  the  wild  gorge  with  almost 
a  human  plaint.  Surely,  as  the  holy  men  have  said,  the 
Messiah  is  here.  There  was  a  moment  of  breathless  silence. 
Men  looked  into  one  another's  eyes,  and  read  there  the  re- 
flection of  their  own  thoughts.  Then  suddenly  the  young 
man  Simon,  whom  we  know,  started  up  and  exclaimed 
passionately,  "  O  Master,  I  for  one  will  do  as  thou  bid- 
dest.     What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do .''  " 

To  whom  John  answered,  "  Repent !  Repent !  And 
like  a  proselyte  newly  entering  Israel's  fold,  thou  shouldst 
be  baptized." 

"  I  do  repent,"  cried  Simon,  "  and  I  will  be  baptized, 
as  thou  sayest,  and  not  only  baptized  but  plunged  into 
and  covered  with  water,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man." 

John  at  once  arose,  and  taking  Simon  by  the  hand,  led 
the  way  to  the  water,  and  was  followed  by  the  whole  con- 


258  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

course  of  people.  At  the  water's  edge  Simon  threw  off 
his  fisher's  coat,  his  one  only  garment,  and  entered  the 
water  naked,  where,  with  little  help  from  John,  he  was 
plunged  beneath  the  waters.  The  example  of  Simon  was 
instantly  contagious,  and  one  after  another  the  whole 
company  was  immersed,  as  Simon  had  been, —  the  young 
men  naked,  like  him,  and  the  older  men,  who  generally  wore 
a  coarse  inner  garment,  threw  off  only  their  coats  of  skin. 
John  offered  to  baptize  any  who  wished  in  the  old  way  of 
pouring  or  sprinkling,  but  all,  fired  with  Simon's  gen- 
erous enthusiasm,  declared  for  a  complete  plunge. 

And  so,  without  plan  or  premeditation,  was  inaugurated 
the  Baptism  of  John.  Before  he  was  through  with  the 
baptism,  in  the  mind  of  John  this  impulsive  demand  of 
Simon's  to  be  'plunged  in  water  had  taken  shape  as  a  sign 
and  token  of  the  will  of  God.  It  should  be  henceforth  the 
mark  of  distinction  between  the  chaff  and  the  wheat,  be- 
tween those  who  were  to  live  and  reign  with  the  Messiah 
and  those  who  were  to  be  destroyed.  And  so  he  now  pro- 
claimed it;  and  to  this  little  band  of  fishermen  and  shep- 
herds he  gave  in  charge  the  spreading  abroad  of  the  New 
Evangel :  "  Repent  and  be  baptized,  that  ye  may  escape 
the  wrath  to  come." 

That  day  John  chose  twelve  of  the  young  men,  one  for 
each  tribe  of  Israel,  to  be,  as  he  said,  "  Disciples."  Among 
them  were  Simon  and  Andrew  and  the  two  brothers  of 
Jesus,  James  and  Jude. 


XXVIII 


AT  THE  FOUNTAIN  OF  NAZARETH 

"  It  is  the  one  spring  of  the  town,  and  hence  must  have  been 
that  which  the  mothers  and  daughters  of  Christ's  day  frequented." 
—  Geikie. 


It  is  the  time  of  evening,  and  we  are  again  at  Nazareth 
of  Galilee.  It  is  the  hour  when  the  women  and  maidens 
go  out  to  the  fountain  on  the  hillside  to  get  their  supply 
of  water  for  next  day's  use.  If  we  go  there,  we  shall  learn 
more  of  the  news  of  the  day, —  more  of  what  is  going  on 
than  we  would  even  at  the  wine  shops  or  gambling  dens, 
where  only  men  congregate.  Here  at  the  fountain  the 
women,  in  leisurely  Eastern  fashion,  pause  long  to  gossip 
and  exchange  news.  There  have  been  strange  happenings 
of  late,  and  there  is  much  to  talk  about. 

There  is  quite  a  group  of  women  about  the  fountain, 
some  filling  their  jars,  and  some  with  jars  already  filled 
but  waiting  to  hear  and  to  tell  the  latest  news.  Two,  who 
have  not  stayed  to  talk  and  are  just  going  away  as  we 
come  up,  seem  familiar  to  us,  and  we  scan  them  more 
closely.  Yes,  they  are  Mary  and  Doris,  Jesus'  mother  and 
sister.  Their  faces  are  wan  and  sad,  and  their  clothing 
very  coarse  and  worn.  They  return  the  greetings  of  ac- 
quaintances with  scant  courtesy,  and  as  soon  as  their  jars 
are  filled  they  put  them  on  their  shoulders  and  hasten 
away. 

"  Poor  things,"  exclaims  Zibiah,  the  wife  of  Sariphia, 
the  wine  merchant,  "  pride  and  poverty  go  not  well  to- 
gether." 

"  If  the  widow  of  Joseph  would  accept  help  from  tliose 
able  and  willing  to  help  her,  she  and  Doris  need  not  go 
about  so  shame-faced  and  shabby." 

259 


260  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  Yes,  and  do  you  not  know  that  her  son  Jesus  is  home 
now,  and  glad  and  even  anxious  to  help  her,  only  she 
doesn't  want  him  to  do  a  thing  because  it  is  Sabbatic  Year, 
and  she  says  she  had  rather  starve  than  have  Jesus  work." 
This  last  from  Athaliah,  the  wife  of  Shaphan,  the  Scribe. 
"  Of  course,"  she  continues,  "  that  is  right  for  those  who 
can  afford  it;  but  people  must  live.  The  Amhaartz  and 
all  slaves  must  work.  How  could  we  live  otherwise  .f*  My 
husband  says  that  it  was  never  intended  that  none  should 
work, —  only  the  Bathanim  "  (men  of  leisure). 

Judith,  the  wife  of  the  Chazzan,  who  had  been  listening 
impatiently,  here  broke  in.  "  Oh !  But  I  can  tell  you 
the  whole  thing  about  that,"  she  said.  "  You  know  our 
house  is  next  to  theirs,  and  only  a  wall  separates  our 
gardens.  Of  course  I  never  listen  or  pry  into  my  neigh- 
bor's affairs,  but  I  can't  help  hearing  a  good  deal.  When 
Jesus  came  home,  you  may  know  things  were  just  dread- 
ful there, —  just  about  as  bad  as  could  be.  Jude  never 
would  work,  and  he  was  off  with  the  Zealots  or  Essenes 
most  of  the  time  anyway,  and  James,  his  brother,  with 
his  Essenism  and  taking  care  of  his  own  family,  had 
about  all  he  could  do ;  and  so,  with  tithes  and  taxes  and 
all,  it  had  come  to  a  pretty  sharp  pass  with  Mary  and 
Doris.  Their  garden  wall  had  fallen,  and  the  garden  it- 
self was  grown  up  to  weeds  and  briars.  The  next  morn- 
ing after  Jesus  got  home,  I  heard  him  out  there,  slashing 
away  at  the  briars  before  it  was  fairly  daylight ;  and  then 
pretty  soon  I  saw  Mary  stealing  along  out  to  him,  with 
a  face  so  white  and  pitiful, —  you  know  what  a  taking 
way  she  has  when  she  tries !  And  she  stole  softly  up  to 
Jesus  as  he  worked,  and  put  her  hand  on  his  shoulder. 
He  turned,  and  they  looked  each  other  in  the  eyes ;  then 
Jesus  put  his  arm  around  Mary  and  drew  her  to  him 
and  kissed  her  on  the  forehead.  Then  they  sat  down  on 
the  seat  under  their  old  fig  tree,  and  Doris  came  out, 
and  they  talked  a  long  time. 


AT  THE  FOUNTAIN  261 

"  I  couldn't  hear  all  that  was  said,  but  I  caught  enough 
to  know  that  Jesus  believes  that  he  ought  to  work  enough 
to  keep  them  from  beggary  or  starvation,  even  if  it  is 
Sabbatic  Year;  and  I  notice  that  Jesus  has  continued  to 
work,  and  has  their  garden  in  fine  order  now, —  though 
Mary  still  thinks  it  wrong,  and  says  it  has  never  been  so 
before  in  her  family.  What  pride!  Just  to  think  of 
it !  As  Zibiah  says,  '  Pride  and  poverty  go  not  well  to- 
gether,' and  the  Scripture  says,  '  Pride  goeth  before  a 
fall.'  " 

By  this,  the  whole  group  of  women,  dropping  other 
subjects,  have  gathered  about  the  chief  speakers.  One,  a 
young  woman  of  great  beauty  and  a  manner  singularly 
sweet  and  attractive,  appears  particularly  interested.  She 
does  not  speak  or  intrude  in  any  way,  but  it  requires  only 
to  see  those  large,  lustrous,  passionate  eyes  fixed  on  the 
speakers  in  utter  self-effacement  to  know  that  hers  is  no 
common  interest.  The  incident  does  not  escape  the  ex- 
perienced eyes  of  the  elder  women,  Zibiah  and  Athaliah, 
and  exchanging  knowing  glances,  Zibiah  inquires  inno- 
cently, "  What  do  you  think  of  the  story  that  Jesus  is 
about  to  get  married.'*  " 

"  Oh,  that  may  very  well  be,"  answered  Athaliah. 
"  There  is  no  doubt  but  Simon^  the  Pharisee,  would  gladly 
have  him  take  his  Jerusha  and  be  his  son-in-law ;  and  there 
are  enough  others,  I'm  thinking,  who  believe  Jesus  will  be 
a  great  Rabbi  some  da}^  and  would  like  to  be  related  to 
him.  Even  Jairus,  ruler  of  the  synagogue  at  Capernaum, 
is  said  to  have  made  advances  to  Jesus  for  his  oldest  daugh- 
ter, Hadesh." 

"  Now  what  idle  tales ! "  broke  in  Judith,  with  some 
excitement.  "  Is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  those  rich 
men  and  rulers  3'ou  speak  of  are  going  to  give  their  daugh- 
ters to  a  poor  carpenter  who  doesn't  even  stick  to  his 
trade,  but  goes  wandering  about,  nobod}'  knows  where,  a 
great  part  of  the  time?     They're  not  such  fools." 


S62  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Athaliah  and  Zibiah  looked  at  each  other  and  smiled, 
and  Athaliah  answered,  "  Well,  I  opine  there  be  plenty 
of  such  fools,  for  all  that;  Jesus  will,  no  doubt,  cease 
wandering  about  when  he  gets  a  wife,  and  with  a  rich 
father-in-law  he  could  go  to  Jerusalem  and  become  a  great 
Rabbi." 

""  Well,  you  are  welcome  to  your  opinion,"  retorted  Ju- 
dith, almost  angrily.  "  But  it  seems  to  me  if  Jesus  gets 
a  good  honest  wife  among  more  common  people,  he  may 
count  himself  lucky."  Then  turning  to  Susanna,  whose 
absorbed  attention  was  so  apparent,  Judith  changed  her 
tone,  and  went  on  very  sweet  and  smiling.  "  Perhaps  we 
ought  not  to  talk  so  freely  about  Jesus  in  the  presence  of 
Susanna,  the  subject  seems  so  painful  to  her.  I  beg  your 
pardon,  Susanna.     We  will  talk  of  something  else." 

Susanna,  startled  as  if  from  a  reverie,  fixed  her  eyes 
as  if  in  pained  surprise  upon  the  speaker,  and  then,  with- 
out a  word  and  drawing  her  wimple  about  her  face,  turned 
and  walked  slowly  away. 

"  Why,  the  girl  has  gone  and  left  her  water-pot,"  ex- 
claimed one,  then  called  more  loudly,  "  Susanna !  Su- 
sanna-a !  You  have  forgotten  your  water-pot ! "  But 
Susanna  did  not  turn  or  pause,  and  went  straight  on. 

"  Now  that  was  too  cruel  of  you,  Judith,"  said  Zibiah, 
with  some  show  of  reproof.     "  How  could  you  do  it?  " 

"  Do  what.-*  How  was  I  to  know  that  the  silly  girl 
was  going  to  be  hurt  by  what  I  said?  But  my  husband 
will  be  waiting,  and  I  must  go."  And  Judith,  taking  up 
her  water-pot,  stalked  proudly  away. 

"  What  a  mean,  cruel  thing  that  was  for  Judith  to  say 
to  Susanna,"  said  Zibiah,  as  soon  as  Judith  was  out  of 
hearing. 

"  Well,  you  know,  of  course,  what  the  matter  is  with 
her,"  answered  Athaliah. 

"  I  don't  care,  it  doesn't  excuse  her,"  returned  Zibiah. 
''  And  for  her  to  think  that  her  poor  little  Hushim  could 


AT  THE  FOUNTAIN  263 

get  Jesus  for  a  husband,  when  he  doesn't  seem  to  care  for 
the  finest  maidens  in  Nazareth,  neither  Susanna  nor  anyone 
else." 

"  No,  Jesus,  will  never  marry,  I  doubt,"  answered 
Athaliah.  "  They  say  he  is  still  thinking  of  Mary  of 
Magdala, —  though  that  seems  entirely  impossible,  for 
she  has  gone  wholly  to  the  bad,  as  everyone  knows.  And 
then,  besides,  they  say  that  Jesus  will  never  be  a  real 
Rabbi.  He  knows  enough,  no  doubt.  My  husband  says 
he  is  equal  in  knowledge  of  the  Law  to  Hillel  or  Shammai, 
but  that  he  has  such  queer  notions  he  can  never  be  re- 
ceived in  Jerusalem  as  a  Rabbi.  He  is  friendly  to  the 
Zealots,  and  they  say  he  has  lived  with  the  Essenes  at 
Engedi,  when  he  has  been  off  so  long." 

"  Yes,  and  now,"  broke  in  another,  "  his  cousin  John 
the  Hermit  is  teaching  a  new  doctrine  at  Bethabara,  and 
they  say  that  Jesus  is  one  of  his  disciples,  with  both  his 
brothers  and  all  his  cousins  and  uncles." 

Another  woman,  who  had  not  yet  spoken,  here  inter- 
rupted. "  Yes,  and  John  the  Hermit  they  are  now  calling 
John  the  Baptist,  for  they  say  he  is  baptizing  everybody 
in  a  new  way, —  plunging  them  all  under  water,  head, 
neck,  and  heels ;  and  that,  he  says,  washes  away  all  their 
sins  and  saves  them  from  a  terrible  destruction  which  he 
asserts  is  now  close  at  hand.  My  husband  and  I  and  a 
lot  of  people  from  our  street  are  going  out  to-morrow  to 
see  what  it  is  all  about.  We  hear  they  are  going  from 
Cana  and  Capernaum  and  everywhere." 

"  Let  them  go,  the  more  fools  they,"  cried  Athaliah. 
"  But  then  this  is  Sabbatic  Year,  and  idle  people  must 
have  something  to  amuse  them.  Only  look  out  you  don't 
get  snared.  My  husband  says  that  this  John  is  really  a 
Zealot,  like  Jacobus  and  his  father  before  him,  and  will 
surely  be  snatched  up  sooner  or  later  by  Antipas  or  the 
Romans,  and  all  who  have  anything  to  do  with  him  will 
suffer.      Every  little  while  some  such  fool  adventurer  starts 


264  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

up  with  some  wild  scheme,  hke  old  Ezekias  and  Judas  the 
Gaulonite  and  Simon  and  Athrongcs  and  his  brotliers,  and 
they  all  have  miserably  perished ;  and  so  will  it  be  with 
this  John.  Better  keep  away  from  him  and  be  satisfied 
to  live  on  in  the  good  old  way." 

Further  conversation  is  here  cut  short  by  the  approach 
of  a  tumultuous  crowd  of  swearing,  singing,  shouting  men 
and  boys,  with  camels,  mules,  asses,  and  horses,  coming  for 
a  supply  of  water.  They  belong  to  the  caravan  from 
Tyre  and  Sidon  that  is  camped  for  the  night  on  the  plain 
above,  where  there  is  no  water.  The  women,  drawing  their 
wimples  close  about  their  faces,  seize  their  water-pots  and 
go  hastil}^  away.  We  are  glad  to  see  one,  who  had  not 
spoken,  take  up  the  full  jar  left  by  Susanna  and  carry 
it  along  with  her  own.  "  Poor  girl,  she  will  be  scolded 
for  not  bringing  it,"  she  murmured,  "  and  I  will  take  it 
to  her." 


XXIX 

TO  HEAR  JOHN 

"  Caravans  of  men  and  beasts  covered  the  roads  of  Galilee  and 
Judea  and  the  plain  of  Jordan." —  Josephus. 

It  was  Spring-time  when  John  began  his  ministry.  •  It 
is  now  Autumn ;  and  the  waters  of  upper  Jordan  are  dried 
up,  so  that  baptism  by  immersion  can  no  longer  be  per- 
formed there.  So  John  has  removed  first  to  Enon  and 
afterwards  to  lower  Jordan,  the  only  place  where  a  suffi- 
cient depth  of  water  can  be  found.  It  has  been  a  period  of 
great  activity  for  John.  Into  these  few  months  have  been 
crowded  the  labors  of  a  lifetime.  As  with  Him  who  was 
to  come  after,  and  whose  shoes  John  felt  himself  un- 
worthy to  unloose,  the  stored-up  result  of  long  years  of 
solitar}^  wrestle  with  the  great  problems  of  life  was  to 
blossom  in  an  hour,  and  leave  fruit  to  ripen  slowly  in  the 
growing  light  of  all  the  ages. 

Until  the  excitement  had  become  so  great  and  the  move- 
ment so  universal  as  to  become  national  and  to  endanger 
the  very  institutions  by  which  they  lived  and  grew,  the 
rich  and  great,  the  priests  and  professional  gentlemen, 
held  aloof.  But  already  there  had  been  danger  signals 
abroad,  indications  that  this  movement,  if  allowed  to  pro- 
ceed, would  abridge  ancient  privileges,  lessen  the  respect 
paid  to  wealth  and  position,  and,  above  all,  reduce  the 
revenues! 

Such  results  were  surely  indicated  in  the  diminished  at- 
tendance at  the  stated  feasts  at  Jerusalem.  The  Feast  in 
July,  when  the  wood  for  Temple  service  was  contributed, 
had  shown  a  falling  off,  and  now  but  lately,  at  the  Feast 
of  Trumpets,  or  New  Year,  one  of  the  three  most  solemn 
festivals  of  the  Jewish  year,  there  had  been  an  alarming 

265 


266  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

decline.  The  money  and  gifts  flowing  into  Jerusalem  to 
enrich  the  priesthood  and  officials  was  greatly  reduced. 
These  disturbing  conditions  were  first  observed  by  the 
Temple  priesthood  and  officials,  by  whom  the  loss  was 
most  felt.  They  called  the  attention  of  Caiaphas  to  it 
and  recommended  active  measures,  but  Caiaphas  and  the 
higher  priesthood  were  so  sunk  in  luxury  and  sloth  that 
they  were  slow  to  move. 

Old  Annas  alone,  the  father-in-law  to  the  weak  and  pro- 
crastinating Caiaphas,  was  fully  alive  to  the  occasion,  and 
capable  of  energetic  action.  Annas,  a  former  High-Priest, 
a  man  of  immense  wealth  and  with  influence  at  Rome,  be- 
longed to  a  former  generation.  A  Sadducee  of  the  Sad- 
ducees,  his  religion  was  no  more  than  a  Hebraized  Pan- 
theism. But  his  morals  were  founded  on  sound  philosophy, 
and  to  old  age  he  had  preserved  the  force  and  energy  that 
made  him,  though  old  and  without  office,  the  leading  and 
controlling  spirit  in  sacerdotal  aff'airs  in  Jerusalem.  He 
was  still  the  virtual  High-Priest.  And  about  him  began 
now  to  form  that  secret  cabal  which  was  so  cruelly  to  cut 
short  the  career  of  John,  and  a  year  later  on  Calvary  to 
give  what  seemed  the  finishing  blow  to  the  great  Demo- 
cratic uprising  in  Israel. 

Annas,  as  one  of  the  few  who  had  access  to  Pilate,  had  at 
first  attempted  to  engage  that  vigilant  ruler  in  a  hostile 
movement,  and  Pilate,  as  a  measure  of  precaution,  had 
sent  Varus  in  disguise  to  take  notes  of  John's  preachings 
and  learn  its  real  design  and  tendency.  Varus'  report  had 
wholly  satisfied  Pilate,  and  no  arts  of  Annas  could  move 
him  to  interfere.  Besides,  Procula,  Pilate's  wife,  had 
spent  her  girlhood  in  Galilee,  and  was  a  somewhat  in- 
telligent interpreter  of  social  and  religious  movements  which 
had  their  origin  outside  of  Jerusalem.  With  Antipas 
Annas  had  been  more  successful :  his  representations  had 
aroused  in  that  weak  and  superstitious  ruler  the  darkest 
suspicions.     His  agents  were  constantly  on  the  watch,  and 


TO  HEAR  JOHN  267 

there  was  now  no  day  but  spies  from  Tiberias  as  well  as 
from  Jerusalem  were  in  attendance  on  the  preaching  of 
John.  Under  John's  vehement  harangues  the  whole  of 
Palestine,  from  Hebron  to  farthest  Lebanon,  became  dis- 
rupted and  in  motion.  Caravans  of  people  of  all  ages, 
sexes,  and  conditions  filled  every  highway  and  bypath. 
There  were  Priests  and  Levites,  criminals  and  prostitutes, 
Sadducees  and  Zealots,  the  friends  of  Rome  as  well  as 
its  enemies,  the  skin-clad  herdsmen  of  Bashan  and  the 
decked  and  gilded  nabobs  of  Jerusalem. 

Pilate  and  his  Romans  alone  remained  calm  and  indif- 
ferent. It  is  indeed  an  evidence,  very  marked  and  almost 
conclusive,  of  the  judicial  spirit  of  Roman  rule,  that  Pi- 
late did  not  interfere.  Few  Governments  in  any  age  or 
country  would  have  remained  quiescent  and  neutral  in 
presence  of  such  a  universal  ferment  and  excitement.  It 
remained  for  the  weaker,  more  jealous  and  suspicious 
Tetrarch,  who  feared  tliat  his  hold  upon  power  was  en- 
dangered, to  cut  short  a  career  ^vhich,  if  allowed  to  attain 
its  natural  growth  and  ends,  would  no  doubt  have  changed 
tlie  character  of  world  history.  While  John  lived  and 
wrought,  it  was  John  and  not  Jesus  whose  spirit  and  doc- 
trines were  giving  form,  color,  and  direction  to  a  move- 
ment which  neither  Jesus  nor  John  originated  or  truly  in- 
terpreted, and  which  was  to  be  limited  only  by  earthly 
bounds  and  the  end  of  Time. 

The  day  chosen  for  our  visit  to  John  happens  to 
be  one  of  special  interest.  Although  it  is  October,  the 
fall  rains  have  not  begun,  and  the  weather  is  very  warm. 
Indeed,  this  narrow  Jordan  valley,  a  thousand  feet  lower 
than  the  Sea,  is  in  summer  as  hot  as  an  oven,  and  is  now 
as  dry  as  a  desert.  Jordan  itself  has  shrunk  to  a  brook, 
and  the  usually  ricli,  tropical  vegetation  of  the  valley  has 
drooped  and  faded.  Even  the  tall  oleanders  and  reeds 
along  the  banks  look  sear,  and  their  leaves  are  laden  with 
dust.     The  trampling  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  men 


268  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  beasts  have  ground  the  dry  earth  into  powder,  which 
now,  at  the  shghtest  movement,  rises  in  stifling  clouds,  to 
settle,  a  grimy  covering,  on  everything. 

It  is  afternoon  when  we  arrive,  and  the  vast  concourse 
of  people  that  fills  the  valley  is  resting  in  comparative 
quiet.  Tents  and  awnings  are  spread  everywhere,  and  un- 
der them  the  people  are  gathered  in  groups,  earnestly  dis- 
cussing what  they  have  heard  in  the  forenoon,  and  at  other 
times,  from  the  lips  of  John.  It  is  a  slow  and  difficult 
task  to  make  our  way  through  the  crowd.  There  is  no 
system  or  order, —  no  streets  or  open  ways, —  and  we  have 
to  pick  our  way,  rubbing  here  and  there  against  a  tethered 
mule  or  ass  or  camel,  and  stepping  over  the  feet  or  out- 
stretched legs  of  recumbent  pilgrims.  Coming  out  at  last 
on  a  small  open  space  near  some  huge,  spreading,  ever- 
green oaks,  we  find  ourselves  facing  very  different  condi- 
tions. There  is  no  crowding  here,  but  ample  room,  with 
ease,  comfort,  and  luxury.  Even  the  sleek  and  well-fed 
animals  have  plenty  of  room.  Under  the  shade  of  the 
trees  are  spread  rich  pavilions,  gorgeous  in  color,  with 
tents  and  awnings  of  silk  and  damask,  and  close  at  hand 
a  table  loaded  with  viands  and  surrounded  with  luxurious 
divans,  on  which  recline,  in  indolent  ease,  a  company  of 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  lawyers  and  doctors  from  Jerusalem. 
A  little  farther  along,  and  within  the  shade  of  the  same 
clump  of  trees,  we  find  another  group,  separated  indeed 
from  the  first  as  unclean,  but  mingling  sociably  in  after- 
dinner  good  fellowship.  With  the  first  group  are  no 
women,  but  with  the  second  are  more  women  than  men. 
Our  old  acquaintances  are  here :  Honorius  and  Hippo,  with 
Zozimus  and  Nicias  and  others ;  with  them  are  Lamia, 
Glaphyra,  Galla,  and  —  who  is  this  other  female,  decked 
and  jeweled  so  gaudily,  and  reclining  voluptuously  on 
the  divan?  Is  it  the  Mary  we  knew,  Mary  of  Magdala? 
There  are  the  same  deep,  inscrutable  eyes,  the  abundant 
dark  hair,  the  pearly  teeth  and  noble  brow,  but  alas !  how 


TO  HEAR  JOHN  269 

changed !  From  the  eyes  down,  on  face  and  lip  and  limb, 
appear  through  all  the  paint  and  rouge  and  toilet  arts 
the  unmistakable  marks  of  the  wine-bibber.  There  are  the 
puffed  cheeks,  tliick,  swollen  lips,  and  heavy  limbs  of  the 
debauchee. 

The  downward  road  for  Mary,  as  for  all  high  souls 
when  once  they  have  let  go  their  ideals,  has  been  steep 
and  the  descent  swift.  The  slippery  scarp  of  the  loftiest 
peaks  hangs  ever  perilous  above  most  frightful  abysses. 
Mary  has  become  hateful  even  to  these  hardened  votaries 
of  Bacchus  and  of  Venus  with  whom  she  associates.  They, 
early  imbued  with  the  artful  philosophy  of  Epicurus,  have 
a  supreme  contempt  for  any  loss  of  self-control,  and 
Mary's  abandonment  has  become  offensive  even  to  Honorius. 
It  is  talked  among  his  associates,  especially  the  women,  that 
he  tolerates  Mary  now  only  because  he  is  dominated  by  her 
forceful  personality  and  termagant  temper. 

There  are  stories  of  frightful  quarrels,  and  even  of 
assaults  by  Mary  with  drawn  dagger.  That  livid  scar 
on  Honorius'  neck,  it  is  said,  came  of  a  wound  given 
by  Mary.  From  the  first,  and  through  all,  Mary  has  felt 
herself  a  stranger  in  this  environment :  it  has  been  foreign 
and  unnatural  to  her.  Though  plunging  in  every  dis- 
sipation, and  excelling  all  in  the  graces  as  well  as  the 
vices,  she  has  been  looked  upon  more  as  a  minister  than  as 
a  companion. 

That  sage  philosopher  of  Arden,  of  which  our 
Shakespeare  is  witness,  made  curious  note  of  a  universal 
truth  in  his  observations  on  a  dial. 

"  Thus  we  may  see  how  the  world  wags, 
'Tis  but  an  hour  since  it  was  nine, 
And  after  one  hour  more  'twill  be  eleven; 
And  so  from  hour  to  hour  we  ripe  and  ripe, 
And  then  from  hour  to  hour  we  rot  and  rot, 
And  thereby  hangs  a  tale." 


270  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Martin  Luther  apostrophized  the  Supreme  Pontiff, 
Clement  VII,  saying,  "  0  Peter,  thou  poor  fisherman ! 
How  hast  thou  become  master  of  Rome,  and  so  many 
kingdoms  besides !  I  bid  thee  all  hail !  Peter,  King  of 
Sicily !  Fisherman  of  Bethsaida."  He  might  with  equal 
aptitude  have  gone  considerably  back  of  the  fisherman 
Peter.  John  of  Hebron,  a  wild,  hairy  man,  nearly  naked, 
living  on  locusts  and  wild  honey,  sitting  on  a  splintered 
rock  at  the  mouth  of  his  cave  in  the  desert  and  discoursing 
to  a  few  shaggy,  skin-clad  peasants,  had  told  them  sternly, 
"  Stop  quarreling  and  fighting.  Be  good  to  one  an- 
other. If  one  of  you  lacks  anything,  a  garment,  or  food, 
or  anything  that  you  have,  divide  with  him.  Live  to- 
gether like  brother  men  and  not  like  wild  beasts.  Repent 
of  your  self-seeking,  revengeful  past,  and  begin  again  on 
a  better  plan." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  religion,  the 
seed  germ  from  which  has  sprung  all  that  may  be  rightly 
classed  under  that  name.  And  so,  even  at  the  time  of 
which  we  write,  there  had  been  growth:  luxury  and  love 
of  ease,  had  begun  to  creep  in.  John,  with  calls  and  du- 
ties pressing  upon  him,  has  not  been  able  to  gather  and 
preserve  his  usual  supply  of  locusts  and  wild  honey,  and 
is  obliged,  therefore,  to  receive  of  his  admiring  disciples 
a  portion  of  their  black  barley  bread  and  garlic.  His 
conscience  upbraids  him  for  indulging  in  such  luxury, 
but  there  seems  no  help  for  it.  His  friend  Jesus  comforts 
him  with  the  assurance  that  the  life  is  more  than  meat, 
and  the  body  than  raiment.  He  should  even  protect  his 
health  by  a  cloak  in  wintry  rains.  So  also,  John's  pulpit 
or  rostrum,  from  the  rough  rock  in  the  cave's  mouth,  had 
advanced  to  an  elevated  platform  of  rude  joiner's  work 
and  rough  boards. 

To  this  platform  we  may  now  see  John  making  his 
way.  He  has  not  changed  his  manner  of  dress,  and  is 
escorted  by  a  considerable  company  of  Disciples,  all  wear- 


TO  HEAR  JOHN  271 

ing  the  same  camel's  hair  shirt,  with  raw-leather  girdle, 
and  letting  their  hair  grow  long.  These  clear  the  way 
for  John,  while  one  of  their  number,  a  stalwart  shepherd, 
marches  in  advance,  blowing  a  mighty  blast  on  a  huge 
ram's  horn.  We  may  notice  that  all  these,  with  John 
himself,  wear  not  only  the  prescribed  ph^^lacteries  on  arm 
and  brow,  but  also  suspend  from  their  square  camel's-hair 
loin  cloths  the  sacred  blue  and  white  fringes  prescribed 
by  Moses.  And  now  John  has  climbed  to  his  pulpit,  and 
the  services  are  about  to  begin. 

It  is  a  wonderful  and  impressive  scene,  and  one  not  to 
be  witnessed  again  on  this  earth.  Crowding  about  the  pul- 
pit of  John  are  fifty  thousand  people,  mostly  Jews  of 
the  poorer  sort,  who  look  upon  John  as  truly  a  prophet 
of  God,  perhaps  even  Elijah  himself.  Quite  near  the  stand, 
and  in  front,  we  see  the  before-mentioned  Scribes,  Pharisees, 
Lawyers,  and  others  from  Jerusalem,  and  beside  them, 
separated  only  by  a  small  space,  are  our  friends  from 
Tiberias,  Honorius,  Hippo,  and  their  company.  The 
crowd,  accustomed  to  subservience,  has  yielded  place  to 
them,  though  not  without  some  ominous  growls  of  incipient 
rebellion.  Easy  seats  and  divans  have  been  spread  for 
them  by  their  servants  and  slaves  where  they  cannot  only 
see  and  hear,  but  ask  questions,  and  even  argue  points  of 
doctrine  with  the  preacher. 

But  John,  as  yet,  notices  none  of  these  things.  As 
he  goes  through  the  crowd,  he  looks  neither  to  the  right  nor 
left,  and  now,  when  he  has  mounted  to  the  platform,  with 
head  thrown  back  and  eyes  elevated,  he  raises  his  right 
hand  towards  heaven,  and  for  a  moment  prays  silently. 
The  people,  even  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  all  standing, 
bow  their  heads,  and,  like  John,  pray  silentJy.  Follow- 
ing the  silent  prayer,  John  repeats  aloud,  and  alone,  tlie 
usual  synagogue  prayer  of  adoration,  beginning 
*'  Blessed  be  Thou,  by  whose  word  the  world  was  created." 
He  then  takes  up  a  roll  of  the  prophets,  as  if  to  read; 


272  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  now,  apparently^  for  the  first  time,  he  becomes  aware 
of  his  audience  and  his  eyes  sweep  over  it  with  an  eagle 
glance  that  nothing  escapes.  Those  eyes  of  John  may 
well  enough  give  him  the  name  of  Prophet,  Holy  Man, 
or  even  Elijah.  They  are  eyes  that  seem  to  pierce  into 
the  very  depths  of  men's  souls.  Black  as  jet,  deep  set 
under  beetling  brows,  they  burn  and  glow  like  coals  of 
fire.  Well  enough  may  his  Disciples  say  of  him  that  his 
eyes  shoot  forth  lightnings  like  the  clouds. 

After  keenly  survejung  the  vast  concourse,  where  the 
people  for  the  most  part  stand  or  sit  on  the  ground, 
his  eyes  rest  a  moment  on  the  rich  and  luxurious  equip- 
ments of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  of  Honorius  and 
Hippo.  The  face  of  the  austere  anchorite  takes  on,  if 
possible,  a  sterner,  grimmer  aspect,  and  surely  enough 
there  are  lightnings  in  his  glance;  but  he  does  not  speak. 
He  lays  down  the  roll  of  the  Law  that  he  had  taken  in 
his  hand,  and  instead  of  reading  or  speaking,  recites  the 
three  first  chapters  of  Isaiah.  His  voice,  though  not  high- 
keyed  or  strained,  may  be  heard  by  the  slaves  and  lepers 
on  the  farthest  outskirts,  and  every  word  and  syllable 
is  uttered  clear  and  distinct. 

During  the  recitation,  John  looks  at  no  one;  but  with 
head  elevated  and  eyes  fixed  as  if  upon  the  distant  and 
unseen,  he  rolls  forth  those  awful  denunciations  with  rapt 
intensity,  as  if  he  were  himself  the  mouthpiece  of  the 
Most  High.  As  he  proceeds,  a  feeling  of  awe  creeps  over 
the  whole  congregation,  and  there  is  breathless  silence. 
These  awful  threatenings  of  the  great  Prophet  of  Israel 
are  familiar  to  every  Jew,  but  now  for  the  first  time,  un- 
der John's  passionate  and  powerful  rendering,  they  have 
point  and  meaning  that  strikes  home. 

At  last,  when  the  silence  has  become  painful  under 
John's  stern  and  steadfast  gaze,  he  raises  his  hand  and, 
sweeping  it  over  the  crowd,  cries  out,  in  a  voice  of  thunder, 
"  These  words  of  Isaiah,  O  men  of  Israel,  are  addressed 


TO  HEAR  JOHN  273 

to  yon!  They  mean  Israel  to-day  ! "  Then,  raising 
both  hands  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  cries,  "  Hear, 
O  heavens.  Give  ear,  O  earth!  For  the  Lord  hath 
spoken.  '  I  have  nourished  and  brought  up  children,  and 
tliej  have  rebelled  against  me.  They  have  gone  away 
backwards,  and  provoked  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  to 
anger! '  " 

Then  lowering  his  hands,  and  addressing  the  people 
again  in  a  tone  and  manner  of  tenderest  love  and  entreaty, 
he  says,  "  Ah,  sinful  nation,  a  people  laden  with  iniquity, 
a  seed  of  evil  doers :  how  have  ye  been  betrayed.  Ye  are 
as  sheep  whose  shepherds  have  led  ye  away  from  green 
fields  and  pleasant  pastures,  and  sold  ye  to  thieves 
and  robbers  in  the  wilderness."  Then  again  elevating  his 
voice,  he  cried  aloud,  "  Ye  are  as  Israel  in  the  days  of 
Achan,  and  in  the  days  of  the  sons  of  Eli,  and  of  Korah 
the  Levite.  The  accursed  thing  is  among  you,  and  God 
saith  to  you  this  day,  as  he  spoke  by  the  mouth  of  jMoses 
and  Aaron  in  their  day,  '  Separate  yourselves  from  among 
this  congregation,  that  I  may  consume  them  in  a  mo- 
ment.' " 

At  this  a  voice  close  by  interrupted  the  speaker,  by  cry- 
ing out  in  a  loud  and  commanding  tone,  "  Hold !  I  adjure 
thee,  in  the  name  of  the  Living  God."  At  the  same  time 
a  man  in  priestly  robes,  of  imposing  figure  and  presence, 
arose  among  the  distinguished  company  of  Jcrusalemites, 
and  addressed  John  with  a  lofty  and  imperious  air :  "  In 
the  name  of  the  anointed,  the  holy  and  righteous  High 
Priest  Caiaphas,  I  demand  of  thee,  John  of  Hebron, —  if 
such  be  thy  name, —  by  what  authority  sayest  thou  these 
things?  It  is  known  to  thee,  as  to  every  Israelite  here 
present,  that  to  teach  or  preach  in  Israel  without  being 
duly  ordained  and  commissioned  by  the  laying  on  of  hands 
is  unlawful.  Thou  hast  never  been  ordained.  Whence, 
then,  th}'  authority?" 

During  this  speech  the  burning  eyes  of  John  were  fixed 


274.  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

on  the  speaker  with  such  stern  reproof  that  the  man, 
tough  and  hardened  worldhng  as  he  was,  could  not  meet 
them,  and  had  to  let  his  eyes  wander  over  the  crowd,  which 
he  seemed  to  be  more  addressing  than  John.  It  was  a 
moment  of  breathless  interest.  The  word  of  a  Priest  and 
Rabbi  from  Jerusalem  all  had  been  taught  to  regard  as  of 
more  authority  than  even  the  words  of  Moses  and  the  Law. 
What  could  this  rude,  untaught  Nazarite  of  the  desert 
answer  to  this  acknowledged  axiom  of  the  Law  in  the 
mouth  of  an  accredited  messenger  of  the  High  Priest  .f* 

But  John,  nothing  daunted  and  with  eyes  fixed  on  the 
priest,  cried  out  in  a  terrible  voice :  "  Go  back  to  the  mas- 
ter who  sent  thee,  and  tell  him  that  I  speak  by  authority  of 
the  Almighty  God.  Tell  him  I  am  he  of  whom  the  prophet 
Esaias  spoke,  '  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness, 
saying.  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths 
straight.' 

"  Every  prophet,  as  Ezekiel,  cries,  '  Woe  be  to  the  shep- 
herds of  Israel,  that  do  feed  themselves,  that  do  eat  the 
fat  and  cloth  themselves  with  the  wool,  kill  them  that  are 
fed,  and  feed  not  the  flock.'  And  who  are  these  false 
shepherds  of  Israel.''  Doth  not  the  prophet  Micah  tell  us 
that  the  princes,  the  heads  and  priests  of  Israel,  build  up 
Zion  with  blood  and  Jerusalem  with  iniquity,  and  Malachi, 
doth  he  not  say  of  you  priests  and  Levites,  masters  and 
scholars,  that  you  have  oppressed  the  hireling  in  his  wages, 
the  widow  and  the  fatherless,  turned  aside  the  stranger 
from  his  right,  and  covered  the  altar  of  the  Lord  with 
tears  and  with  weeping.  '  Will  a  man  rob  God?  '  he  crieth, 
*  yet  ye  have  robbed  Him.'  Therefore,  as  sayeth  the 
prophet  Micah,  '  shall  Zion,  for  your  sake,  be  plowed  as  a 
field,  and  Jerusalem  shall  become  heaps  ?  '  So  read,  and 
tell  the  master  who  sent  you  so  to  read." 

John  paused  and  looked  around.  The  priest,  his  ques- 
tioner, had  sunk  down  on  his  divan,  with  an  air  of  haughty 
disgust,  and  there  was  a  great  silence.     Then  John,  stretch- 


TO  HEAR  JOHN  275 

ing  forth  his  hands,  cried  again  in  a  loud  voice,  "  O  lost 
sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel !  Behold,  thy  Redeemer 
Cometh !  To  you  are  all  the  promises,  and  in  you  are  they 
now  to  be  fulfilled.  The  time  appointed  of  old  is  now  fully 
come.  The  Messiah  is  here.  His  footsteps  are  on  the 
mountains.  The  sound  of  his  chariot-wheels  are  on  the 
plain.  He  is  the  Lord's  anointed,  clothed  in  majesty  and 
honor  and  power,  and  he  will  execute  judgment.  To  the 
proud  in  heart,  the  extortioner,  the  oppressor  of  the  hire- 
ling, and  the  widow,  the  fatherless,  and  the  poor,  he  will 
be  a  condemning  judge  and  a  consuming  fire.  If  I  baptize 
with  water  those  of  you  who  repent  and  turn  from  your 
evil  ways,  those  of  you  whom  I  baptize  not,  and  who  do 
not  repent,  he  will  baptize  with  fire.  His  fan  is  in  his 
hand,  and  he  will  thoroughly  purge  his  floor.  He  will  burn 
up  the  chaff  and  gather  the  wheat  into  his  garner." 

The  Rabbi  Boethus,  who,  not  daring  to  appear  in  public 
with  the  uncircumcised,  was  with  the  company  from  Jerusa- 
lem, here  arose  and  asked  of  John,  saying,  "  The  prom- 
ises of  God,  as  recorded  in  the  Law,  are  to  all  the  seed  of 
Abraham,  and  how  saj'est  thou  that  the  Messiah  will  be 
to  many  a  condemning  judge  and  a  consuming  fire.''  How 
readest  thou  ?  " 

"  Thou  whited  wall ! "  answered  John,  turning  upon 
the  priest  his  sternest  look,  "  Thinkest  thou  that  because 
thou  hast  Abraham  to  thy  father,  thou  shalt  escape  the 
condemnation  of  hell?  Behold  of  these  stones,  lying  thick 
as  autumn  leaves,  God  can  raise  up  children  unto  Abraham. 
Think  not  thus  to  escape  the  wrath  to  come.  '  Woe  unto 
them,'  saith  Isaiah,  '  that  join  house  to  house,  that  lay 
field  to  field.'  Woe  unto  them  that  are  mighty  to  drink 
wine,  and  have  the  harp  and  the  viol,  the  tabret  and  the 
pipe,  and  wine  in  their  feasts.  Woe  unto  them  that  call 
evil  good,  and  good  evil.  Therefore  as  the  fire  devoureth 
the  stubble  and  the  flame  consumeth  the  chaff",  so  their 
root  shall  be  as  rottenness,  and  their  blossom  shall  go  up  as 


276  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

dust.  Therefore  is  the  anger  of  the  Lord  kindled  against 
His  people  and  He  has  stretched  forth  His  hand  against 
them  and  will  smite  them,  and  the  hills  will  tremble  and 
their  carcasses  will  be  torn  in  the  midst  of  the  streets. 
And  for  all  this  His  anger  is  not  turned  away,  but  His 
hand  is  stretched  out  still." 

This  rhapsody  of  John  has  been  delivered  with  a  manner 
so  exalted  and  lifted  up,  so  rapt  and  intense,  that  his  ex- 
citable and  demonstrative  audience  has  been  wrought  to  a 
high  pitch.  Thousands  are  on  their  knees  or  prostrate 
on  their  faces,  praying,  and  on  every  hand  are  tears  and 
groans  and  cries. 

When  John  and  his  disciples  first  appeared,  Mary, 
among  the  company  of  Honorius,  was  more  disposed  to 
scoff  and  deride  than  even  the  Romans  and  Greeks.  She 
had  created  a  laugh  by  the  utterance  of  piquant  sarcasms 
on  the  outlandish  appearance  of  John  and  his  disciples. 
"  This,"  she  said,  "  promises  to  be  a  better  show  than  the 
circus  at  Antioch.  Antipas  and  Herodias  don't  know  how 
much  they  are  losing  by  not  being  here.  How  Salome 
would  enjoy  dancing  before  these  mummers." 

But  when  John  began  to  speak,  Mary's  attention,  like 
all  others,  was  instantly  riveted  upon  him.  It  had  been 
long  since  Mary  had  read  or  heard  the  words  of  the  Sacred 
Book,  and  though  familiar  with  the  words  used  by  John, 
until  she  heard  them  now  from  his  lips  they  had  not  im- 
pressed her.  Now,  however,  with  her  Jewish  training  and 
ancestry  of  a  thousand  years,  the  voice  of  John  was  to  her 
like  a  trump  of  doom.  It  was  also  a  far  sounding  echo 
from  the  beautiful,  far-away  days  of  childhood :  what 
memories  did  they  bring  up,  and  what  regrets. 

The  little  white-washed  cottage  at  Magdala  by  the  sea, 
the  great  spreading  vine  with  its  clustered  fruit  over  the 
door,  the  small  boat  on  the  beach,  the  sun  rising  over  the 
distant  mountains, —  how  vividly  it  all  came  back  to  her ! 
Then  there  was  the  tender  and  loving  father,   dead  now 


TO  HEAR  JOHN  277 

from  grief  and  shame,  it  was  said,  for  lier  sins!  her  sins  ! 
How  his  love  and  care  came  back  to  lier,  and  how,  an  inno- 
cent child,  standing  at  his  knee  with  his  arm  about 
her,  she  had  hstened  while  he  read  again  and  again,  those 
words  of  the  Great  Prophet  of  Israel!  Was  it  all  a 
dream  ? 

Mary  has  ceased  to  listen  to  the  words  of  the  preacher; 
his  voice  has  passed  to  an  indistinct  murmur,  and  again 
the  scene  is  changed.  ]\Iarj  is  a  girl,  on  the  green  hills  of 
Galilee.  Around  her  are  the  bending  lilies,  the  simple 
sheep,  the  frisking  lambs,  and  the  mild-eyed  gazelle.  Oh, 
for  one  breath  of  that  pure,  sweet  air,  one  hour  of  that 
dear,  calm  hfe  of  innocent  joy !  Yes,  and  there  is  one 
other  last  and  deepest  pang.  She  has  shut  it  out  with 
gaiety  and  mirth,  even  with  wildest  orgies  of  dissipation, 
drowned  it  in  wine  and  covered  it  with  the  trappings  of 
wealth  and  power  and  pride ;  but  now  again,  as  if  evoked 
by  the  conjuring  words  of  John,  it  flames  in  upon  her 
like  a  glare  of  blinding  light.  She  has  already  come  to  see 
and  know  that  her  place  in  the  company  of  Honorius  is  only 
for  the  hour.  She  will  be  thrown  into  the  street  like  a  worn 
garment,  she  knows  not  when.  She  knows  that  she  is  en- 
vied and  feared  and  hated  rather  than  loved,  and  her  heart 
is  so  famished  and  starving  for  one  drop  of  true  love,  such 
love  as  that  of  her  father,  or  no, —  she  dare  not  name  him, 
that  noble  and  beautiful  3'outh,  whose  love  she  seemingly 
might  have  had  but  had  thrown  away.  Mary  buries  her 
face  in  the  cushions  of  her  divan,  while  sobs  shake  her 
frame  and  inquiring  glances  pass  from  eye  to  eye.  The 
lips  of  the  haughty  Glaphyra  curl  in  scorn  while  she  seeks 
the  eye  of  Honorius.  What  does  it  all  mean.?  And  now 
again  the  words  of  the  preacher  sound  with  trumpet  tones 
in  Mary's  ears.  He  is  repeating  the  words  of  Jeremiah: 
"  *  And  when  thou  art  spoiled  what  wilt  thou  do  ?  Though 
thou  clothcst  thyself  with  crimson,  and  deckest  thee  with 
ornaments    of   gold,   though   thou    rentest   thy    face    with 


278  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

painting :  in  vain  shalt  thou  make  thyself  fair ;  thy  lovers 
will  despise  thee ;  they  will  seek  thy  life.'  " 

Mary  sits  up  and  gazes  wildly  around.  The  abundance 
of  her  tears  has  furrowed  and  marred  the  paint  on  her 
cheeks,  and  the  black  pencilings  of  her  eyes  and  brows 
have  spread  over  her  face  in  black  blotches,  which,  with 
her  drawn  and  agonized  countenance,  give  her  a  terrible 
appearance.  Glaphyra  and  the  rest  gaze  upon  her  in  fear 
and  amazement. 

And  now  the  voice  of  the  multitude  rises  like  a  sea. 
Thousands  are  crying  "  Hosanna !  Glory  be  to  God !  "  and 
many  are  tearing  the  ornaments  from  their  necks  and  ears 
and  casting  them  away.  Mary  can  do  no  less :  she  will  do 
more.  She  will  go  to  the  extreme  in  this,  as  in  all  else. 
She  throws  off  not  only  the  gold  and  gems  from  neck  and 
arms  and  hair,  but  she  tears  off  the  rich  and  costly  outer 
garments  with  which  she  is  clothed,  and  trampling  them 
beneath  her  feet,  stands  forth  bereft  of  all  her  finery,  and 
clothed  only  in  the  dark  mantle  of  her  unbound  hair  and 
two  inner  garments.  And  behold,  these  garments  are  not 
those  of  a  Roman  or  of  a  Greek,  but  of  a  Jew.  To  one  of 
them  is  attached  the  blue  and  white  fringe  of  the  sacred 
Tallith,  a  mark  of  devotion  which  Mary  has  clung  to 
through  all  her  devious  career,  and  which  still  marks  her 
as  a  daughter  of  Abraham. 

It  is  early  morning  of  the  day  following  the  events  last 
related,  and  we  are  on  the  banks  of  Jordan,  at  the  pool. 
It  is  the  time  when  the  proselytes  are  baptized  and  admitted 
into  the  new  communion.  For  the  last  few  days  the  num- 
bers demanding  baptism  have  grown  so  great  that  John 
no  longer  does  the  work  of  immersion  himself,  but,  remain- 
ing on  the  shore,  examines  and  questions  those  making 
application,  and  passes  those  he  deems  fit  on  to  his  disciples, 
who,  standing  in  the  water,  perform  the  rite  and  pronounce 
the  words  of  blessing. 


TO  HEAR  JOHN  279 

Many  are  turned  away  by  John,  some  as  being 
Levitically  unclean,  and  others  because  they  fail  to  show 
proper  evidence  of  repentance.  One  rich  lawyer  of  Jerusa- 
lem, on  being  refused  because  he  has  made  no  restitution  of 
his  ill-gotten  gains,  attempts,  after  the  manner  of  his  kind, 
to  set  up  an  argument  to  prove  that  John  has  no  right  to 
discriminate.  But  John  makes  short  work  of  the  lawyer's 
logic  and  tells  him  that  no  man,  however  great,  is  worthy 
of  the  Kingdom,  who  will  not  only  repent  but  make  good, 
as  far  as  possible,  his  past  wrong-doing.  He  tells  the 
lawyer  that  not  Antipas  himself,  if  he  asked  it  on  his  knees, 
could  be  admitted  to  baptism  until  he  had  put  away 
Herodias. 

And  now  among  those  pressing  for  baptism  comes  the 
figure  of  a  woman.  She  is  closely  veiled  and  clothed  in  a 
coarse  garment  of  the  poorest  sort.  Her  bowed  head, 
trembling  steps,  and  voice  of  pleading,  attract  John's  at- 
tention at  once.  His  stern  heart  is  touched,  and  he  listens 
to  her  outpouring  of  confession  and  contrition  with  kind- 
ling love.  But,  alas !  She  is  unclean,  unclean.  John 
baptizes  none  but  the  clean.*  She  must  go  away  to  a  priest 
and  offer  the  gift  required  by  Moses,  then  come  and  be 
baptized.  John  speaks  kindly  but  firmly,  and  the  woman 
shrinks  away  and  is  lost  in  the  crowd. 

One  standing  near  says  it  is  Mary  of  Magdala. 

*  See  Geikie's  "Life  of  Christ,"  Chap.  xxv. 


XXX 

THE  BLACK  SHEEP 

"  And  Jesus'  mother  and  brethren  urged  him  vehemently  to  go 
to  the  baptism  of  John  for  the  forgiveness  of  his  sins." — Gospel  of 
the  Nazarenes. 

It  is  the  beginning  of  what  is  known  in  history  as  the 
Hard  Times  of  A.  D.  33.  It  is  a  Sabbatic  year,  and  work 
is  unlawful.  Fields  remain  unplowed,  and  orchards  and 
vineyards  unpruned  and  untended.  There  is  great  suffer- 
ing and  extreme  discontent.* 

The  announcement  by  John  that  sure  and  complete  re- 
lief is  at  hand  is  received  by  the  people  with  perfect  faith. 
He  has  become  the  idol  of  the  multitude ;  he  is  a  prophet 
of  God;  he  is  Elijah;  to  many  he  is  even  Messiah.  He 
denies  being  any  of  these,  but  he  comforts  the  people  with 
the  assurance  that  there  is  One  at  hand  who  will  be  all  these, 
and  more.  Well  may  the  "  Law  and  Order  "  doctors  and 
officials  fear  to  deny  this  John !  The  people,  half  frenzied 
with  wrongs  and  sufferings,  are  watching  them  jealously. 
They  are  watching  all  men  jealously ;  even  so  staunch  a 
Democrat  as  Jesus  has  become  suspect,  and  is  regarded  by 
some  with  black  looks. 

In  Nazareth  and  the  region  round  about,  except  Jesus 
and  the  official  class.  Scribes,  Pharisees,  and  some  rich  Sad- 
ducees,  there  is  no  child  of  Abraham  who  has  not  been  to 
John's  baptism.  And  besides,  to  the  great  grief  of  his 
mother  and  sister,  Jesus  silently  ignores  all  their  protesta- 
tions and  continues  to  work,  cultivating  their  garden  and 
their  little  patch  of  ground  in  the  valley,  almost  as  if  it 
were  not  a  Sabbatic  year.  He  tells  them  it  is  better  to 
work  than  to  beg  or  to  starve.     Then  his  public  talks,  when 

*  See  Edersheim's  "  Jewish  Social  Life." 

280 


THE  BLACK  SHEEP  281 

he  does  speak, —  as  he  still  does  some  times  on  the  Sab- 
bath,—  are  so  queer  and  unintelligible.  His  great  learning 
and  charm  of  manner  still  command  for  him  the  place  of 
Shellach  in  the  Synagogue,  but  he  says  nothing  about 
John,  and  discourses  wholly  in  such  strange  and  obscure 
parables  that  the  wise  old  Bathanim  shake  their  heads  and 
wag  their  gray  beards,  at  the  same  time  hardly  daring  to 
question  lest  they  betray  their  own  ignorance. 

Amidst  the  universal  fennent,  the  turmoil  and  excite- 
ment, the  running  hither  and  thither,  Jesus  alone  remains 
apparently  calm  and  unmoved.  The  work  that  he  deems 
it  necessary  for  him  to  perform,  he  does  as  far  as  possible 
secretly  and  out  of  sight:  he  would  offend  no  one's  sense 
of  duty  or  religious  obligation.  He  is  not  yet  himself 
clear  in  his  mind  where  the  true  path  lies.  He  has  no 
intimates,  not  even  companions.  All  who  have  been  in  any 
way  near  to  him  have  gone  away  after  John.  Even  his 
mother  and  sister  have  caught  the  sweeping  contagion  and, 
like  all  their  Jewish  neighbors,  ceasing  to  work  and  aban- 
doning domestic  affairs,  spend  most  of  their  time  in  going 
and  coming  in  response  to  the  call  of  John. 

And  so  Jesus  spends  his  time  in  solitude.  Often  he 
wanders  away  to  the  hills  and  sheep  pastures  above  Naz- 
areth, and  spends  days  and  nights  there  alone,  with  no  roof 
over  his  head  but  the  blue  arch  of  the  sky,  fretted  with 
stars.  On  returning  home  after  one  of  these  absences  he 
found  quite  a  company  of  his  relatives  assembled  and  await- 
ing him.  His  mother  and  brothers  and  sisters,  with  other 
near  friends,  were  come  together  after  a  visit  to  John,  to 
urge  Jesus  to  go  and  accept  the  new  doctrine  and  be  bap- 
tized. It  was  a  little  embarrassing  to  those  making  this 
effort.  Jesus'  dignity  and  elevation  of  character,  together 
with  his  great  learning,  made  it  appear  rather  presump- 
tuous to  obtrude  advice  upon  him  in  such  a  matter.  But  a 
martyr-like  sense  of  duty  in  Mary  prevailed  over  every 
other  consideration,  and  besides  there  still  lurked  in   her 


282  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

heart  the  mother's  fond  ambition  to  see  this  most  loved  son 
taking  that  high  place  in  Israel  which  she  thought  be- 
longed to  him. 

Now  that  his  becoming  a  great  Rabbi  at  Jerusalem  was 
no  longer  to  be  thought  of,  Mary's  ambition  had  suddenly 
taken  a  new  form  and  direction.  John  was  own  cousin 
to  Jesus ;  and  why,  in  the  new  Kingdom  of  God  that  was  at 
hand,  should  not  her  Jesus  find  a  high  place,  and  act  the 
great  part  for  which  he  was  so  well  qualified. 

IMary  approached  the  subject  delicately,  and  told  Jesus 
how  much  he  was  missed  at  Enon  and  how  every  one  in- 
quired why  he  did  not  come  out.  "  Your  uncle  Zebedee," 
she  said,  "  and  cousin  Jonas,  and  many  others,  expressed 
great  surprise  at  your  holding  back  this  way,  and  they  all 
said  that  you  might  be  next  to  John  himself  if  you  would 
come  out  boldly.  Then  I  saw  Jacobus,  also,  and  he  charged 
me  particularly  to  tell  you  the  same  words  that  John  so 
often  repeats,  *  The  time  is  at  hand.'  He,  too,  thinks  you 
should  take  a  leading  part  in  this." 

Jesus  inquired  very  particularly  about  John's  preaching 
and  the  effects  it  was  having;  and  Mary,  greatly  encour- 
aged, went  on  with  ardor  and  volubility.  "  Why,"  she 
said,  "  you  have  no  idea  of  what  multitudes  of  people  are 
there,  and  how  they  come  from  everywhere.  James  saw  a 
number  of  Essenes  there  from  Engedi,  and  Jude  saw  a 
great  company  of  Jews  from  Damascus,  and  others  from 
Tyre  and  Sidon ;  and  they  say  that  great  caravans  are  com- 
ing from  beyond  the  Euphrates.  Every  one  thinks  that  it 
is  the  final  gathering  of  Israel,  and  that  the  new  Kingdom 
will  shortly  be  set  up,  as  John  says.  And  he  says  that  only 
those  who  come  forward  and  are  baptized  and  take  a  part 
can  have  any  share  in  the  New  Kingdom.  All  others  will 
be  shut  out,  and  with  the  heathen  be  miserably  destro3^ed. 
Jolm  inquired  after  ^^ou  and  told  us  privately  that  he  be- 
lieved that  you  could  do  more  good  than  he  if  you  would 
come  out  boldly.     He  says,  '  Tell  Jesus  that  God  is  calling 


THE  BLACK  SHEEP  283 

him  to  this  work  and  he  must  obey.'  Did  he  not  say  so, 
James?  " 

James,  appealed  to  by  his  mother,  acquiesced  insofar  as 
to  say,  rather  reluctantly,  that  John  had  used  some  such 
expressions,  "  But,"  he  went  on,  "  John  means,  of  course, 
that  Jesus  shall  first  repent  and  be  baptized ;  his  learning  in 
the  Law  and  his  smooth  speeches  will  avail  nothing  with 
John.  You  all  saw  how  he  put  down  the  Doctors  and 
Pharisees  from  Jerusalem.  John,  as  is  plain  to  see,  is  at 
heart  an  Essene.  He  openly  preaches  the  most  essential  of 
our  doctrines,  as  the  brotherhood  of  all  Jews,  community 
of  goods ;  and  by  his  example,  at  least,  he  teaches  our  doc- 
trines of  plain  living  and  abstinence,  and  is  clearly  against 
all  priestcraft  and  blood-sacrifices.  Then,  as  you  all  saw, 
he  is  like  the  Essenes  in  his  prayers  and  washings  and  Sab- 
bath observances,  in  all  of  which  Jesus  is  as  lax  as  a  fisher- 
man of  Bethsaida.  Here  he  is  working  most  of  the  time, 
this  Sabbatic  year,  and,  so  they  say,  even  on  Sabbath.  He 
eats  without  washing,  and  prays  any  way  he  likes.  What 
John  wants  of  Jesus  is,  first  of  all,  to  repent  and  be  bap- 
tized." 

This  speech  of  James  was  not  a  surprise  to  any  one  in 
the  company,  for  since  James  had  openly  declared  in  favor 
of  the  Essenes,  his  disapproval  of  his  brother  Jesus'  laxity 
in  ceremonial  observance  had  often  been  expressed  and  em- 
phasized in  many  ways. 

Jesus  made  no  answer  to  James,  but  his  mother,  with 
soft  complaisance,  essayed  to  preserve  the  harmony  that 
James'  rough  speech  seemed  to  threaten.  "  Of  course,"  she 
said,  "  Jesus  would  expect,  like  the  rest,  to  repent  and  be 
baptized ;  but  I  cannot  be  mistaken  in  thinking  that  John 
expressed  great  regard  for  Jesus,  and  said  that  God  was 
calling  him.     Did  not  you  understand  him  so,  Jude?  " 

Jude,  thus  addressed,  answered  much  in  the  same  spirit  as 
James  had  done,  agreeing  that  John  had  spoken  in  some 
such  way.     "  But,"  he  said,  "  so  far  from  John  being  an 


284  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Essene,  as  James  asserts,  he  is  really  a  Zealot.  He  believes 
in  a  return  to  the  ways  and  customs  of  ancient  times  as 
truly  as  Jacobus  himself;  and  Jacobus  believes  that  this 
whole  movement  is  at  bottom  Nationalist,  and  that  the  Mes- 
siah who  is  to  come  is  none  other  than  a  Nationalist  leader, 
a  Zealot, —  and  Jesus  is  no  Zealot,  he  is  not  even  a  follower 
of  Moses  and  the  Law.  How  can  he  be  of  any  help  to 
John.?" 


XXXI 


ENON 


"  And  John,  calL'ng  unto  him  two  of  his  disciples,  sent  them  to 
Jesus,  saying.  Art  thou  he  that  should  come,  or  look  we  for  an- 
other? " —  Luke  vii-19. 


The  pool  of  Enon  is  bordered  on  the  one  side  by  a  small 
plain  or  meadow  which,  watered  by  a  perennial  stream,  is 
a  paradise  of  fertility  and  beauty.  A  waving  forest  of 
tall  reeds  borders  the  stream,  with  scattered  clumps  of  tree- 
like oleanders  and  red  tamarisk,  while  farther  back  are 
great,  burly  sycamores  with  their  white  trunks  and  broad 
leaves.  Immense  evergreen  oaks  spread  far  abroad  their 
huge  limbs,  and  scattered  here  and  there  is  the  vivid  green 
of  orange  trees.  Rising  above  all  are  the  feathery  fronds 
of  the  stately  palm. 

Here  the  hosts  who  come  to  John's  baptism  are  now  en- 
camped. On  the  other  side  of  the  pool  the  rocky  hills  rise 
bare  and  precipitous,  and  stretch  away,  wave  over  wave  of 
lonely  grandeur,  to  the  distant  peaks  of  Ammon.  Here 
the  wilderness  begins,  and  here,  after  the  labors  of  the  day 
and  at  night-fall,  John  retires  and  spends  the  night  alone. 
The  cave  where  he  dwells  is  held  in  awe,  like  a  sacred  fane, 
and  none  dares  offer  to  attend  him.  Rumors  have  gone 
abroad  that  in  this  cave  John  meets  and  communes  with 
the  Messiah.  Some  say  that,  as  to  Moses  of  old,  God  Him- 
self talks  to  him  there,  and  all  believe  that,  like  Elijah, 
he  receives  angelic  sustenance  from  the  messengers  of  Je- 
hovah. 

It  is  night,  and  we  are  high  on  the  hillside  at  this  cave  of 
John's.  The  opening  of  the  cave  faces  westward,  and  on 
either  side  of  the  cave's  mouth  is  a  large  rough  boulder, 

285 


286  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

on  which  are  seated  the  two  men  we  know,  Jesus  and  John. 
It  is  early  evening,  and  there  is  yet  a  faint  red  glow  above 
the  far  Judean  hills,  where  the  sun  went  down,  and  the  full 
moon,  rising  above  the  mountains  of  Ammon,  fills  the  valley 
below  with  a  flood  of  light.  The  pool  of  Enon,  to  the 
right,  glitters  like  a  burnished  shield,  and  farther  away 
and  more  to  the  left,  the  tents  of  Israel  show  white  and 
shining  in  the  still  moonlight,  like  those  of  an  invading 
host. 

Jesus  and  John  have  scarcely  spoken  together  since  Jesus 
came  in  the  late  afternoon,  and  now  they  have  sat  gazing 
at  the  panorama  spread  before  them  for  a  long  time  with- 
out speaking.  "  The  harvest  truly  is  great,  but  how  much 
of  it  is  tares ! "  said  Jesus,  at  last,  slowly  and  sadly. 

"  It  is  not  for  us  to  inquire  about  the  tares,"  answered 
John,  firmly,  and  continued  with  decision :  "  Moses  and 
the  holy  prophets  sowed  good  seed ;  and  if  tares  have  sprung 
up,  the  Evil  One  hath  done  it.  We  are  only  servants  sent 
forth  to  reap,  and  there  cometh  One  who  will  know  the 
tares,  and  separate  them  from  the  wheat  and  burn  them  with 
fire.     It  is  not  for  us  to  do." 

"  True,"  answered  Jesus,  "  but  the  Holy  One  —  and 
blessed  be  his  name ! —  is  long  in  coming.  It  may  yet  be 
long,  and  what  are  these  to  do?  The  shepherd  who  would 
lead  forth  the  flock  into  the  mountains  and  deserts  must 
find  them  pasture  and  a  fold.  The  Holy  One,  when  he 
comes,  will  be  the  Great  Shepherd.  He  should  find  his 
sheep  housed  and  fed.  They  should  be  in  the  way  where 
he  will  himself  lead  them.  What  is  that  way,  and  who  will 
lead  them  in  that  way  till  he  comes  ?  " 

John  did  not  answer,  and  after  a  long  silence  Jesus  went 
on.  "  Thou  canst  not  but  see  that  Israel  is  being  scattered 
like  sheep  upon  the  mountains ;  they  run  hither  and  thither, 
they  wander  up  and  down,  looking  and  praying  for  one  to 
lead  them.  They  have  looked  and  prayed  that  thou,  who 
hast  called  them  forth,  wouldst  lead  them ;  but  thou  answer- 


ENON  287 

est  them  nay,  and  sayest  there  cometh  one  to  lead  them, 
whose  shoes  thou  art  not  wortliy  to  unloose.  But  the  sum- 
mer is  past,  the  harvest  is  ending,  and  the  promised  One 
comes  not ;  and  the  howling  of  the  wolves  is  already  heard 
among  the  rocks. 

"  Even  now  there  are  those  who  are  telling  the  people  that 
the  lost  Ark,  the  Urim  and  the  Thummim  and  all  the  sacred 
vessels  that  Jeremiah  hid  away  in  a  cave  on  Mount  Ncbo, 
may  now  be  brought  back,  if  Israel  will  go  forth  to  the 
desert  after  them.  Thou  hast  heard  of  Theudas,  who  says 
he  is  Moses,  and  bids  the  people  follow  him  to  Mount  Nebo, 
where,  he  says,  the  lost  vessels  will  be  restored  and  the 
Messiah  appear.  Another  tells  the  people  that  the  lost 
vessels  were  hid  away  by  an  angel  on  Mount  Gerizim,  and 
he  promises  to  show  where  they  are.  And  many  believe  in 
him.  And  so  Jacobus,  with  his  brothers,  and  Ehud  are 
telling  the  people  that  the  INIessiah  is  a  mighty  man  of  war, 
who  will  lead  the  armies  of  Israel  against  Rome.  They 
ask  every  man  to  arm  and  be  ready,  telling  them  that  thou 
art  sent  but  to  prepare  the  way  for  a  war  of  liberty.  Then 
there  is  James,  my  brother,  with  Cochiba  and  the  rest,  who 
claim  thee  for  an  Essene,  and  say  that  Israel  is  to  become 
as  they,  and  that  thou  art  set  apart  and  separated  like  as 
they  are  and  as  Israel  was  in  the  days  of  IMoses.  And  so 
this  people,  as  a  man  possessed,  wander  up  and  down,  seek- 
ing rest  but  finding  none." 

When  Jesus  began  speaking,  John  sat  with  folded  arms 
and  bowed  head,  for  he  was  exhausted  with  the  extreme 
labors  and  excitements  of  the  day,  and  his  iron  frame  was 
relaxed  in  rest.  His  face,  in  the  light  of  the  full  moon, 
though  cast  and  furrowed  by  care,  was  placid,  restful,  and 
reverent.  Gradually,  as  Jesus  proceeded,  John  raised  his 
head,  his  folded  hands  dropped  by  his  side ;  Jesus,  looking 
steadfastly  at  him,  saw  a  change  in  John  that  no  words 
will  describe.  There  seemed  a  moving  brcatli,  like  the 
sweep  of  an  angel's  wing.     Jesus  himself  was  thrilled  by 


288  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

it ;  and  the  face  of  John,  as  Jesus  gazed  upon  him,  seemed 
to  shine  and  glow  in  the  moonhght  and  become  indeed 
beautiful. 

When  Jesus  ceased  speaking,  John  arose,  with  his  face 
towards  the  stars.  At  the  same  time  Jesus,  moved  by  the 
same  impulse,  cast  off  his  mantle  and  also  arose  to  his  feet. 
Then  both  together  raised  their  hands  above  their  heads, 
and  John  alone  prayed :  "  O  thou  Almighty !  The  God 
of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  and  (hesitating,  and 
adding  slowly)  of  all  the  earth.  Thou  who  from  Father 
Adam  up  through  Noe  and  all  the  patriarchs  hast  guided 
and  preserved  and  gently  led  Thy  people !  Thou  who  by 
Thy  Holy  Prophets  hast  promised  to  send  Thy  Holy  One 
to  redeem  and  save  at  the  last :  send  now,  and  send  quickly. 
Justify  and  establish  this  Thy  servant  whom  thou  hast 
sent  to  proclaim  the  glad  and  acceptable  year.  Show  thy- 
self now  in  Thy  might  and  Thy  majesty ;  and  let  not  thine 
enemies  laugh  and  rejoice.  Thy  people  are  as  lost  sheep 
upon  the  mountains.  They  cry  unto  Thee  for  a  shepherd 
to  lead  them.  Thou  hast  promised  a  shepherd, —  the  Mes- 
siah, the  Holy  One.  Send,  O  Lord  God!  and  send 
quickly." 

Jesus  and  John  resumed  their  seats  in  a  silence  that 
neither  hastened  to  break.  John  was  the  first  to  speak. 
"  The  husbandman,"  he  said,  "  must  sow  his  seed,  whether 
it  be  cold  or  hot,  wet  or  dry.  He  knoweth  not  whether 
he  shall  reap  little  or  much ;  God  alone  giveth  the  increase. 
It  is  not  given  to  us  to  determine  the  metes  and  bounds  of 
this  movement:  that  remains  with  God.  We  can  only  sow 
the  seed." 

"  True,"  answered  Jesus,  "  the  husbandman  must  plant 
and  sow  seed,  but  the  good  vineyard  he  must  dig  and  prune 
and  train." 

John  leaned  his  face  upon  his  hands,  and,  absorbed  in 
thought,  gazed  off  towards  the  white  tents  and  moving 
lights   of   the   great   encampment.     "  I   see,"   he    said,   at 


ENON  289 

length,  "  there  is  much  lacking  in  me.  My  manner  of  life, 
which  I  cannot  now  change,  unfits  me  for  this  work.  I 
cannot  lead  this  people.  I  am  but  a  herald  who  calls  and 
marshals,  and  if  the  Messiah,  the  wise  and  good  shepherd, 
delays  long  his  coming,  there  will  be  foolish  and  evil  shep- 
herds to  mislead  and  spoil  the  flock.  It  has  always  seemed 
to  me  that  thou  art  better  fitted  for  this  great  work  than  I, 
and  now  I  am  sure.'* 

"  I  am  but  a  sinful  man,"  answered  Jesus  solemnly. 
"  The  children  on  the  street  will  point  their  fingers  at  me 
and  cry,  *  There  goeth  the  carpenter,  the  son  of  Joseph.' 
My  mother  and  my  brethren  think  me  a  sinner,  even  more 
than  others,  and  they  have  urged  me  to  come  to  thy  bap- 
tism, and  for  that  am  I  come." 

"  It  is  not  meet  that  I  should  baptize  thee,"  answered 
John.  *'  Thou  shouldst  baptize  me  rather.  Thou  art 
greater  and  wiser  than  I.  If  the  Messiah  cometh  not 
now,  thou,  and  not  I,  must  be  the  shepherd  of  Israel.  I 
can  do  no  more.  I  have  uttered  my  cry.  I  have  spoken 
the  words  that  were  given  me  to  speak,  and  Israel  is  roused 
up  like  a  lion ;  and  who  shall  lead  him  ?  It  is  thou  who 
must  answer." 

As  John  ceased  speaking  there  came  floating  down  from 
far  away  the  wild,  weird,  fearsome  howl  of  mountain 
wolves.  At  the  same  time,  from  the  valley  and  plain  be- 
neath arose  the  pleasing  sound  of  mirth  and  jollity.  The 
simple  country  people,  trusting  implicitly  that  this  Sab- 
batic year  will  bring  the  long-looked-for  Messiah  and  usher 
in  the  glorious  era  of  rest  and  abundance,  have  cast  off 
every  thought  of  labor  and  care,  and  are  enlivening  the 
evening  with  music  and  dancing.  At  times  the  fitful  breeze 
carries  the  sound  away,  and  it  sinks  to  a  murmur,  as  of 
far-off  surf.  Then  again  it  swells  and  mounts  and  roars 
like  a  mighty  tide.  Voices  are  heard  in  song ;  and  laughter 
as  of  girls ;  the  ringing  clash  of  cymbals,  the  blast  of 
trumpets  and  horns ;  and  through  all,  piercing  the  mass  of 


290  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

sound  with  sharp,  clear  tones,  the  high  shrill  notes  of  flutes 
and  pan-pipes. 

Jesus  and  John  sat  listening  in  silence  for  some  time. 
At  length  Jesus  speaks,  repeating  from  Jeremiah,  "  '  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  Behold  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of 
Jacob's  tents,  and  there  shall  be  heard  again  the  voice  of 
joy  and  the  voice  of  gladness,  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom 
and  the  voice  of  the  bride,  the  sound  of  thanksgiving  and 
the  voice  of  them  that  make  merry.'  " 

John  makes  no  answer,  and  his  stern,  set  face  shows  no 
softening  light.  At  the  moment  a  wave  of  sound  swells 
up  on  the  passing  breeze,  and  we  can  hear  distinctly  above 
the  clang  and  scream  of  cymbals,  horns,  and  pipes  the 
chant  of  that  grand  triumphal  psalm,  "  O  sing  unto 
the  Lord  a  new  song,  for  He  hath  done  marvelous 
things." 

Jesus  was  absorbed  and  elevated;  his  whole  form  was 
dilated ;  his  fine  face  was  rapt  and  glowing,  as  with  visions 
of  Paradise.  "  How  beautiful  it  is,"  he  said,  at  length. 
He  seemed  not  to  be  addressing  any  one,  but  went  on  al- 
most as  if  in  soliloquy.  "  How  plain  and  easy  the  road 
to  happiness  is,  and  yet  how  few  there  be  who  find  it. 
The  plain,  simple  people,  with  kind  hearts,  who  without 
storehouse  or  barn,  live  like  the  birds, —  the  sweetest  joys 
of  life  may  be  theirs,  if  they  have  no  envies  or  jealousies 
or  upbraidings,  no  strivings  after  great  things.  This 
green  earth  might  be  again  a  Paradise  for  all  God's  chil- 
dren, for  God  does  not  change.  He  causeth  His  rain  to 
fall  upon  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  His  bow  is  still  in 
the  cloud. 

"  The  sun  shines,  the  moon  gives  her  light,  the  stars 
extend  their  greetings.  The  earth  bringeth  forth  abun- 
dantly: there  is  corn  in  the  fields,  there  are  cattle  upon 
a  thousand  hills.  The  wine  and  oil  do  not  fail.  The  lily 
blooms  as  well  beside  the  herdsman's  hut  as  in  the  garden 


ENON  291 

of  Herod  or  Caesar.  Man  alone  is  changed  and  gone  away 
backwards ;  and  is  it  not  said  of  the  Messiah  that  he  is  to 
restore  all  things?  To  restore  all  things!  Not  to  mend 
and  patch,  not  to  put  the  new  wine  in  old  bottles,  not  to 
vamp  up  the  old,  worn,  and  filthy  garment  with  a  patch 
of  new ;  not  to  bring  back  Abraham  with  his  wronged 
Hagar,  turned  away  to  die  in  the  desert,  and  his  cowardly 
deceits ;  not  Jacob,  defrauding  his  brother,  not  David  with 
his  vile  lusts  and  sheddings  of  blood ; —  but  Adam  as  he 
was  before  the  Fall.  This  earth  may  be  again  a  Para- 
dise." 

Jesus  paused,  and  again  there  was  silence.  The  sounds 
of  revelry  below  have  sunk  to  a  murmur.  From  far  away, 
in  some  mountain  fold,  the  repeated  mother-call  of  a  lamb 
comes  floating  down  distinct  and  clear,  and  from  a  near-by 
tree  a  nightingale  is  pouring  forth  in  quivering,  passion- 
ate strains  its  song  of  ecstasy. 

When  the  nightingale  ceased  its  song,  Jesus  repeated 
absently,  "  The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and 
the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid  and  the  calf  and 
the  young  lion  and  the  fatling  together,  and  a  little  child 
shall  lead  them." 

"  Yes,  sometime,"  answered  John,  sternly,  "  but  not 
till  all  men  have  repented  and  turned  from  their  evil  ways. 
There  should  be  fasting  and  prayer,  not  dancing  and 
revelry.  The  Messiah  will  come  only  to  a  people  clothed 
in  sackcloth  and  ashes,  never  to  one  wine-bibbing  and 
riotous." 

A  shadow  of  perplexity  and  doubt  settled  upon  the  face 
of  Jesus  at  these  words  of  John,  and  he  stooped  and  began 
writing  with  his  finger  in  the  sand.  After  a  time  Jesus 
raised  himself,  and  continued  in  the  same  absent  mono- 
logue : 

"  Yes,  that  is  right,  for  the  Scripture  says  so,  and  it 
is  sin  in  me  to  think  differently ;  and  yet  somehow  these 
poor  people  will  still  appear  to  me  as  lost  sheep,  misled 


S92  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

an3  abandoned  by  false  shepherds,  and  yet  we  say,  the 
sheep  must  repent !  " 

"  '  For  my  thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are 
your  ways  my  ways,  saith  the  Lord,' "  answered  John 
sternly,  and  Jesus  rejoined,  "  Verily." 


XXXII 

TEMPTATION 

"  Again  the  Devil  taketh  him  up  into  an  exceeding  high  moun- 
tain, and  showeth  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the  glory 
of  them." — Matthew  iv-8. 

The  next  day  Jesus  was  baptized.  John  himself  per- 
formed the  rite  in  a  most  impressive  manner,  and  pre- 
sented Jesus  to  the  people  in  a  speech  in  which,  in  the 
figurative  and  exaggerated  style  of  the  Orient,  he  gave  his 
own  view  of  Jesus'  exalted  character  and  ability.  He 
stated  that  he  believed  Jesus  to  be  wiser  and  better  qualified 
to  become  the  leader  of  Israel  than  he  himself,  and  he  called 
upon  all  to  show  Jesus  due  reverence  and  be  taught  of 
him.  He  went  so  far  as  to  call  Jesus  "  The  Lamb  of 
God,"  upon  whom  the  spirit  had  descended  like  a  dove. 

The  beauty  of  Jesus'  person,  the  dignity  and  humility 
with  which  he  bore  this  unexpected  eulogium,  made  a  deep 
and  lasting  impression  on  the  multitude.  But  Jesus,  over- 
whelmed by  the  height  and  suddenness  of  his  elevation, 
and  not  yet  fully  settled  in  his  own  mind,  withdrew  him- 
self and  went  away  alone  to  the  old  haunts  of  John  and 
Addi  in  the  desert. 

In  this  secluded  retreat  Jesus  was  visited  by  Jacobus, 
whose  admiration  for  Jesus  had  been  confirmed  and  intensi- 
fied by  the  encomiums  of  John,  and  who  now  felt  sure  that 
the  public  mind  was  ripe  for  that  universal  uprising  so 
long  contemplated.  Jacobus  was  accompanied  by  Ehud 
and  one  Helon,  a  Rabbi  and  Zealot  from  Babylonia,  who 
had  come  with  a  considerable  company  from  beyond 
Euphrates  to  the  baptism  of  John. 

The  representations  of  Jacobus  that  nine-tenths  of  the 
Jews  in  Palestine  were  eager  for  insurrection  and  wanted 

293 


294  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

only  a  leader  needed  no  confirmation.  Jesus  knew  that  it 
was  true ;  he  knew  that,  as  Jacobus  said,  an  army  of  men 
would  spring  to  arms  at  the  blast  of  the  trumpet,  and  be 
ready  to  die  for  God  and  liberty.  Neither  was  he  unmoved 
by  the  strong  and  earnest  words  of  Ehud,  who  rehearsed 
with  fiery  eloquence  the  glorious  examples  of  the  olden 
time,  of  Samson,  of  Shamgar,  and  of  Gideon,  not  for- 
getting the  heroic  women,  Judith  and  Jael  and  Deborah. 
To  these  appeals  Helon  added  his  account  of  the  stir  and 
unrest  and  eager  expectation  of  the  Jewish  population 
beyond  Euphrates,  of  their  wealth  and  power  and  zeal, 
and  of  their  vast  numbers.  Helon  was  a  Scribe  in  his  own 
country,  one  of  the  very  few  of  his  class  who  had  any- 
where j  oined  the  Zealots ;  and  with  all  the  trained  sub- 
tlety and  acumen  of  the  accomplished  lawyer  that  he  was, 
he  presented  to  Jesus  the  claims  of  the  Zealots  with  a 
graphic  power  that  the  rough  Jacobus  had  not  approached. 
True,  there  was  much  that  was  vague  and  contradictor}^ 
in  the  plans  and  schemes  not  only  of  the  Zealots  but  of 
John,  and  among  the  people  generally  were  notions  of 
prosperity  and  happiness  as  wild  and  various  as  dreams. 
Ideas  of  a  return  to  patriarchal  simplicity  existed  side  by 
side  with  expectations  of  regal  splendor  and  magnificence 
excelling  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory.  To  the  poor  slave 
grinding  at  the  mill,  the  New  Kingdom  meant  liberty, 
idleness,  and  boundless  sensual  enjoyments.  To  fierce 
spirits  like  Ehud,  it  meant  the  sweeping  devastations  of 
measureless  vengeance.  To  John  it  meant  a  return  to 
all  the  rigors  of  the  Mosaic  ritual,  and  to  Jacobus  a  return 
to  conditions  like  those  of  Samson  and  Gideon.  To  Jesus, 
at  this  time,  it  meant  something  of  all  these:  he  was  not 
yet  clear.  But  that  the  Messiah  would  be  a  King  and 
ruler  over  all  the  earth  he  as  much  believed  as  did  the 
simplest  shepherd  of  the  hills.  He  had  drunk  in  such 
teaching  with  his  mother's  milk.  With  all  the  diversity  of 
opinion  on   other  points,   on  this  there  was  unity.     The 


TEMPTATION  295 

Messiah  was  at  hand ;  he  would  be  a  King ;  he  would  have 
absolute  power  and  would  rule  over  all  the  earth.  Jesus 
believed  in  all  this  as  truly  as  did  the  mystic  John  or  the 
fierce  and  implacable  Ehud.  And  now  the  leadership  in 
this  world-movement,  which  was  to  end  in  the  Messiah's 
kingship  and  universal  dominion,  was  offered  and  even 
passionately  urged  upon  him,  and  not  only  by  learned  and 
artful  sectaries,  by  Helon  and  Ehud  and  Jacobus,  but  by 
John, —  John,  whom  he  already  looked  upon  as  a  messen- 
ger of  God,  greater  than  any  prophet. 

While  Jesus  was  thinking  of  these  things,  there  ap- 
peared upon  the  scene  a  deputation  from  John,  and  with 
them  Jude,  Jesus'  brother  from  Nazareth.  John  sent  to 
urge  Jesus  to  take  up  the  work  in  Judea  or  Galilee,  and 
make  a  diversion  to  turn  away  the  storm  that  was  threat- 
ening to  destroy  whatever  good  had  already  been  done. 
Herod,  they  said,  had  ordered  John  to  cease  preaching 
and  the  people  were  forbidden  to  gather  to  hear  him. 
Jude  brought  also  the  dismal  news  that  Shunam  had  seized 
upon  the  home  of  Jesus  in  Nazareth,  ejected  Mary  and 
Doris,  and  they,  houseless  and  homeless  and  in  utter  desti- 
tution, had  taken  refuge  with  their  kinsman  Zebedee  at 
Capernaum.  While  Jude  yet  spoke,  there  came  another 
Job's  messenger  running  and  exhausted,  who  said  that 
John  had  been  seized  by  the  soldiers  of  Antipas  and  car- 
ried off  to  prison. 

To  all  this  Jesus  made  no  answer,  only  with  each  new 
appeal  his  face  darkened  with  a  deeper  shadow.  The 
youthful  smoothness  of  his  cheek  and  brow  showed  new 
and  deeper  lines,  the  gentle,  lucid  eyes,  that  were  wont  to 
gaze  upon  all  the  world  with  sad,  mild  tolerance,  took  on 
a  look  more  fierce  and  threatening  than  that  of  the  venge- 
ful Ehud,  while  upon  his  pallid  brow  the  great  blue  veins 
stood  out  swelling  and  throbbing  with  the  pulsations  of  his 
mighty  heart. 

Then  Jesus  arose.     "  It  is  not  meet  that  I  should  answer 


296  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

to  these  things  now,"  he  said,  "  I  will  go  away  till  the 
morning;  then  I  will  answer.  God's  peace  be  with  you 
all.  Remember  it  is  to  God  and  his  own  soul  that  each 
must  finally  answer,  and  not  to  man.  Farewell."  And 
Jesus  passed  alone  up  the  narrow  path  and  disappeared 
towards  the  desert,  none  daring  to  follow  him. 

The  next  morning  Jacobus  and  his  companions  waited 
at  the  cave  till  nearly  noon  for  Jesus  to  return.  Then, 
with  few  words.  Jacobus  leading,  they  followed  the  path 
Jesus  had  taken,  and  went  out  towards  the  desert.  It  was 
high  noon  when  they  found  Jesus  seated  on  a  bare  rock 
where  the  burning  sun  smote  down  straight  from  the  zenith 
on  his  uncovered  head,  and  the  simoon  drifted  the  yellow 
sands  about  his  feet. 

What  had  passed  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  in  this  long  vigil 
it  is  competent  for  few  men  even  to  imagine.  To  offer 
words  seems  almost  a  presumptuous  intrusion.  Jesus,  like 
every  Jew,  had  drunk  in  the  doctrine  of  vengeance  with  his 
earliest  thought.  To  be  avenged  upon  heathen  enemies  was 
a  cardinal  precept  of  the  Mosaic  law,  and  had  not  he 
suffered  wrongs  to  be  avenged.''  Those  stripes  and  blows 
at  Jerusalem  and  Tiberias !  Those  dungeon  horrors ! 
And  Mary  of  Magdala ! !  Ah  1  But  he  must  not  think  of 
her !  Madness  is  there !  But  he  cannot  forget,  and  wild 
thoughts  will  rise,  and  fierce  thrills  of  vengeance.  Should 
the  wicked  live  and  triumph.'' 

And  now  a  mother  and  sister  driven  forth  homeless,  to 
beg  or  starve  on  the  street ;  and  the  friend  of  his  youth, 
the  one  kindred  spirit  known  to  him  on  earth,  snatched 
away  to  a  captivity  worse  than  death !  And  all  to  be 
silently  endured,  when  redress  and  ample  power  for  ven- 
geance were  as  if  thrust  upon  him. 

All  these  things  appealed  in  the  most  artful  and  insidi- 
ous manner  to  all  that  was  human  and  manlike  in  Jesus. 
A  desecrated  love,  religion,  patriotism,  ambition,  revenge, 
—  all  put  out  pleading  hands  and  called  him  not  only  to 


TEMPTATION  297 

earthly  and  sensual  satisfactions,  but  to  fulfill  for  liimself 
and  for  his  nation  the  high  destiny  that  had  been  fore- 
ordained of  God  from  the  beginning  of  time. 

To  the  simple  mind  of  Jesus,  ignorant  as  he  was  of  the 
world  and  the  power  of  Rome,  the  magnificent  schemes  of 
Jacobus  and  Ehud  wore  entirely  feasible.  He  did  not 
doubt  the  ability  of  Jacobus,  with  the  armed  millions  of 
Israel,  to  overcome  and  put  down  every  earthly  power ; 
and  indeed,  as  was  shown  a  generation  later,  with  a  com- 
petent leader  the  Jewish  nation  was  equal  to  it.  He  be- 
lieved without  a  shadow  of  doubt  that  the  just  and  glorious 
reign  of  Immanuel  over  the  whole  earth  was  about  to 
begin, —  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  was  at  hand.  He  him- 
self might  stand  next  to  the  Messiah  in  honor  and  power. 
He  had  long  felt  and  known  that  he  was  no  common  man! 

Could    it    even    be  that No !    No !     Perish    the 

thought.  It  was  not  for  him  to  imagine  himself  the  Mes- 
siah, to  inaugurate  an  epoch  of  war  and  bloodshed.  Spite 
of  IMoses,  who  was  wrong  in  so  many  things,  it  was  his 
instinct  to  feel  and  know  that  he  who  took  the  sword 
should  perish  by  the  sword.  Peace  and  good  will  to  all 
mankind  was  written  by  the  hand  of  God  on  all  the  green 
earth  and  in  the  sky.  He  saw  it  in  the  clustered  vine,  the 
laden  branches  of  the  pomegranate,  the  olive  and  the 
palm,  in  the  painted  lily  and  the  rose.  He  heard  this, 
God's  message,  in  the  song  of  birds,  in  the  sound  of  run- 
ning waters,  in  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  in  the  whispers 
of  the  breeze.  He  would  abide  by  that,  live  for  it,  and  if 
need  be  die. 

When  Jacobus  and  his  companions  came  to  where  Jesus 
was,  they  were  astonished,  and  none  dared  speak  to  him. 
Jesus  did  not  appear  to  see  them :  he  did  not  move  or 
speak,  and  they  drew  back,  abashed  and  overawed.  There 
had  been  a  great  change  wrought  in  Jesus  in  those  few 
hours.  There  was  the  same  beautiful  face,  and  clear, 
calm  eyes,  the  tender,   sweet  lips,   and   the  high,   smooth 


298  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

brow, —  but  changed  all,  purified  and  exalted,  stamped 
with  that  mark  ineffable  which,  more  than  the  laurel  or 
the  bay,  distinguishes  the  victors  over  Apollyon. 

Jesus  did  not  keep  his  friends  waiting  long,  but  motion- 
ing them  to  draw  near,  spoke  to  them  in  a  low  tone,  and 
in  a  manner  simple  and  quiet  and  gentle,  but  yet  with  a 
firmness  that  admitted  no  question.  "  I  have  prayed 
God,"  he  said,  "  to  direct  me  in  this,  and  I  believe  He 
has.  John  was  the  Messenger  of  God;  he  was  sent  of 
God  to  do  a  work ;  he  has  been  cut  short  by  wicked  men. 
But  will  God  be  mocked  or  turned  aside?  He  bids  us, 
the  disciples  and  friends  of  John,  to  take  up  his  unfinished 
work  and  go  forward  with  it.  John  did  not  teach  re- 
sistance by  force  and  arms ;  neither  should  we.  I  go  to 
Galilee  to  take  up  the  work  of  John !  " 

There  was  a  long  silence,  broken  at  last  by  Jacobus,  who 
said,  "  Truly  the  mantle  of  John  has  fallen  upon  thee, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth !  Thou,  now,  art  God's  messenger,  and 
He  will  instruct  thee  differently  in  His  own  good  time. 
It  is  the  virtue  of  a  Zealot  to  wait.  I  wait.  I  will  go 
with  thee  to  Jordan ;  beyond  that  I  dare  not  now  go. 
Behold,  I  have  spoken.     It  is  enough," 

When  Jacobus  ceased,  the  others  who  had  accompanied 
him,  Ehud  leading,  silently  withdrew,  and  left  Jesus  alone 
with  Jacobus. 


XXXIII 
THE  FIRST  MIRACLE 

"  We  have  duty  to  perform :  to  cultivate  the  human  soul,  to  de- 
fend mystery  against  miracle,  to  adore  the  incomprehensible  and 
reject  the  absurd;  to  purify  faith,  and  obliterate  superstition;  to  re- 
move the  vermin  from  the  garden  of  God." —  Hugo. 

When  Jesus  came  back  from  the  desert  he  was  rowed 
across  the  lake  by  Jacobus  and  left  with  his  kinsmen  at 
Bethsaida.  John  being  in  prison,  the  people  for  the  most 
part  had  returned  to  their  homes,  and  the  hope  of  an  im- 
mediate change  in  Israel  had  been  reluctantly  abandoned. 
Jesus  found  his  mother  and  sister  doing  menial  work  in 
the  household  of  Zebedee,  and  he  himself,  though  welcomed 
by  the  women  and  young  men,  was  entertained  by  Zebedee 
with  but  sour  hospitality. 

He  was  expected  to  go  at  once  to  work  and  redeem  if 
possible  his  paternal  homestead,  or  at  least  to  provide  for 
his  mother  and  sister;  and  when  it  was  found  that,  instead, 
he  was  idly  gathering  the  young  fishermen  about  him  and 
filling  their  minds  with  notions  wilder  and  more  imprac- 
ticable than  even  those  of  John,  the  elder  men,  as  Zebedee 
and  Jonas,  began  to  look  upon  him  with  disfavor.  Not 
only  had  Jesus  liimself  ceased  to  work,  but  he  was  the 
cause  of  idleness  in  many  others.  The  sons  of  Zebedee 
and  Jonas  and  other  young  fishermen,  with  serving-men 
and  slaves,  began  to  grow  remiss  in  their  duties.  They 
had  lost  all  interest  in  the  ordinary  business  of  life,  and 
began  to  talk  vaguely  of  a  New  Kingdom  of  universal 
brotherhood  and  a  community  of  goods. 

Zebedee  and  Jonas  and  the  rest  had  believed  in  John 
while  he  was  with  them ;  but  now  that  he  had  been  seized 
by  a  mere  handful  of  soldiers  and  thrust  helpless   into 

299 


300  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

prison,  no  man  or  God  interfering,  his  prestige  was  gone, 
and  they,  with  the  greater  number  in  Israel,  were  dis- 
posed to  return  to  their  usual  vocations  and  to  their  habit- 
ual attitude  of  patient  waiting.  But  again,  like  all  sim- 
ple, sincere  men,  they  were  naturally  drawn  towards  Jesus. 
His  noble  superiority,  so  manifest  to  every  one  who  saw 
him  and  heard  him  speak,  joined  to  a  simple  brotherly 
kindliness  in  word  and  deed  and  manner,  drew  every  earnest 
soul  to  him  with  resistless  power.  As  a  Rabbi  in  the  regu- 
lar order,  a  teacher  according  to  Moses  and  the  Law,  he 
would  have  commanded  universal  reverence.  He  would 
have  been  greater  than  Hillel  or  Shammai.  He  could  have 
chosen  a  wife  among  the  daughters  of  Princes,  and  instead 
of  living  in  poverty  and  destitution  have  lived  in  luxury, 
and  been  more  honored  than  even  the  High  Priest  at 
Jerusalem. 

Mary  and  Doris  were  perfectly  aware  of  this ;  and  now, 
in  their  extreme  need,  deprived  of  their  home,  compelled 
to  clean  fish  and  do  slaves'  work  in  the  household  of  a 
kinsman  for  a  bare  living,  and  at  the  same  time  see  Jesus 
idly  consorting  with  dreaming  youths,  vagabond  fisher- 
men, and  slaves  earning  nothing,  and  withal  himself  living 
upon  charity,  they  were  sorely  grieved,  and  began  to  have 
misgivings  about  Jesus  being  in  his  right  mind.  With 
such  influences  at  work,  Jesus  soon  found  that  he  could  do 
nothing  at  Capernaum.  Four  youths,  two  of  them  his 
cousins,  were  all  the  real  converts  he  had  made  there, — 
and  they  had  been  first  the  disciples  of  John ;  so  he  went 
away,  to  try  what  could  be  done  in  the  towns  and  villages 
where  he  was  not  known. 

Here  success  attended  him  beyond  all  his  hopes  or  ex- 
pectations. The  extreme  poverty  of  the  people  of  the 
hill-country  of  Galilee  had  largely  prevented  them  from  at- 
tending on  the  preaching  of  John ;  but  the  rumor  of  him 
had  penetrated  to  every  hamlet  and  to  every  household, 
and  among  a  people  exceedingly   ignorant  and  supersti- 


THE  FIRST  MIRACLE  301 

tious  the  rumor  had  far  exceeded  the  fact.  Astounding 
miracles  were  reported  of  him,  and  the  story  that  he  had 
been  imprisoned  by  Herod  was  scarcely  believed.  If  he 
was  imprisoned,  it  was  only  to  show  the  power  of  God. 
John,  who  was  really  Elias,  would,  as  did  he  of  old,  call 
down  fire  from  heaven  and  destroy  his  persecutors. 

And  so  when  Jesus  appeared,  unknown  and  unan- 
nounced, at  Betharbel,  and  began  preaching  repentance 
as  John  had  done,  it  was  at  once  noised  abroad  that  he 
•was  John,  and  in  a  day  he  had  sprung  into  fame.  The 
people  flocked  to  hear  him  with  an  enthusiasm  and  blind 
devotion  that  amazed  Jesus,  and  touched  his  heart  with  a 
depth  of  pity  and  compassion  which  from  that  hour  be- 
gan to  grow  and  increase  in  him,  till  it  embraced  not  alone 
these  poor  peasants  of  the  hills  but  all  the  poor  and  de- 
spised of  earth.  These  people  with  whom  Jesus  now  was 
were  the  Boors,  Fellaheen,  serfs  of  the  soil ;  they  were 
the  despised  Amhaartz  of  the  Jewish  communion.  Their 
excessive  burdens  of  toil  made  it  impossible  for  them  to 
observe  the  rites  of  the  synagogue,  and  though  they  were 
nominally  Jews,  they  were  Levitically  unclean  and  re- 
garded by  their  masters  and  by  all  attendants  at  the 
synagogue  as  degraded  outcasts,  whose  touch  was  pollu- 
tion and  whose  salvation  even  in  the  world  to  come  was 
extremely  doubtful. 

Jesus,  as  we  said,  began  preaching  repentance,  as  John 
had  done,  but  he  scarcely  thought  of  baptism.  Jesus, 
like  all  original  men,  was  a  "  swallower  of  formulas." 
With  these  simple,  ignorant,  but  kind-hearted  people 
crowding  about  him,  eager  to  hear  and  to  obey  his  slight- 
est word,  he  saw  more  clearly  than  even  before  how  foolish 
and  even  pernicious  was  all  that  intricate  labyrinth  of 
formalism  with  which  Rabbinism  and  Priestcraft  had 
hedged  in  the  plain  precepts  of  the  Law,  and  made  it  im- 
possible for  the  common  man  to  observe  at  all  what  was 
really  required. 


302  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

He  noticed  among  these  poor  people, —  what  is  found 
always  and  everywhere  among  the  same  class, —  a  spirit 
of  hospitality,  of  helpfulness,  and  of  liberality  towards 
one  another  not  to  be  found  in  the  higher  walks  of  life. 
They  shared  with  one  another  what  they  had  borrowed 
and  lent  and  gave  with  cheerful  friendliness.  Jesus  had 
thought  much  of  the  beauty  and  utility  of  these  homely 
virtues  before;  but  now  for  the  first  time  he  began  think- 
ing of  them  as  of  universal  application,  as  indeed  the 
foundation  of  society  and  of  the  social  state.  He  began 
here  to  talk  to  his  disciples  about  it  and  to  call  their  at- 
tention to  the  happiness  men  might  enjoy  if  they  all  lived 
that  way.  But  the  disciples,  scarcely  more  than  the  peo- 
ple generally,  got  any  clear  ideas  from  Jesus'  teaching. 

It  may  be  that  Jesus  himself  at  this  time  had  no  clearly 
defined  plan  about  the  future,  if,  indeed,  he  ever  had.  All 
was  vague  and  formless  as  to  detail,  with  the  one  central 
controlling  idea  of  human  brotherhood  and  love  of  man  for 
man.  And  so,  immediately  Jesus  began  to  teach,  his  dis- 
ciples, who  had  also  been  John's  disciples,  began  to  raise 
the  question  of  baptism.  Jesus  was  disposed  to  ignore 
baptism  altogether;  but  as  soon  as  the  matter  was  men- 
tioned, there  was  a  clamor  raised  for  the  practice  of  the 
rite  as  John  had  instituted  it,  and  Jesus  felt  himself 
obliged  to  allow  his  disciples  to  baptize  as  John  had  done. 
There  was  little  water  in  these  parts,  not  enough  for  im- 
mersion, but  they  went  through  the  form,  and  finally, 
when  water  became  very  scarce,  sprinkling  was  very  doubt- 
fully allowed  to  be  sufficient. 

The  synagogues  in  this  region  being  very  small,  all 
Jesus'  meetings  were  in  the  open  air.  He  preached  on 
all  days  alike,  and  it  would  seem  that  but  for  his  disciples 
he  would  have  forgotten  that  there  was  any  Sabbath.  One 
Sabbath,  while  he  was  preaching,  there  walked  boldly  in 
among  the  congregation  a  naked,  hairy  man,  very  dirty 
and   filthy   in   all   his   appearance,   with   matted,    grizzled 


THE  FIRST  MIRACLE  303 

locks  and  finger-nails  grown  like  eagles'  talons,  and  where 
once  on  his  wrists  were  raw,  festering  sores  were  now  hor- 
rible callouses  where  the  fetters  had  rubbed  and  chafed. 
About  his  ankles  were  still  fetters  of  iron,  which  clanked 
as  he  walked.  The  chain  connecting  the  fetters  had  been 
broken,  as  also  the  chain  with  which  the  man  had  been  for 
long  years  held  to  a  rock  in  the  open  air.  The  man  was 
said  to  be  possessed  of  a  devil,  and  was  looked  upon  with 
awe  and  fear  by  the  whole  congregation,  who  made  way  for 
him  with  the  same  superstitious  reverence  with  which  all 
rude,  uncivilized  people  regard  the  idiotic  and  insane. 

The  man  came  in,  mumbling  incoherent  words,  working 
his  jaws,  and  making  horrible  grimaces.  He  went  straight 
towards  where  Jesus  sat,  and  when  he  was  quite  near  he 
stopped,  and  looked  fixedly  at  Jesus,  continuing  still  to 
mumble  as  before.  The  man's  appearance  made  such  a 
disturbance  that  Jesus  ceased  speaking  and  turned  his 
attention  to  the  man.  Jesus  gazed  at  him  for  some  time, 
but  without  any  show  of  anger,  or  even  of  annoyance  or 
sternness.  His  look  was  full,  rather,  of  tender  pity  and 
compassion. 

While  Jesus  thus  looked  at  him,  the  man  ceased  to 
mumble  and  to  grimace,  and  with  eyes  growing  large 
with  wonder  and  still  fixed  upon  Jesus,  his  hideous  face 
began  to  change  in  a  wonderful  manner:  the  wolfish  fierce- 
ness faded  away,  and  in  its  place  came,  first,  a  child-like 
wonder ;  then,  as  he  still  gazed,  a  look  of  fear  succeeded, 
and  with  a  cry  as  of  terror  but  with  eyes  as  if  spellbound 
and  still  fastened  upon  Jesus,  he  turned  and  began  to 
shrink  away.  Then  Jesus  arose  and  put  out  his  hand  and 
took  hold  of  the  man's  arm.  The  look  of  pity  and  com- 
passion in  Jesus  had  grown  till  his  face  appeared  to  the 
amazed  people  about  him  to  grow  luminous  and  to  shine 
like  an  angel's,  and  there  were  tears  in  his  eyes. 

The  man  also  seemed  to  be  shot  through  by  the  touch 
and  look  of  Jesus  with  a  new,  strange  sense.     His  fear 


304  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

was  gone,  and  he  allowed  Jesus  to  lead  him  away  to  a  seat 
near  him,  where,  after  being  covered  by  Jesus  with  his 
own  cloak,  he  sat  silent,  with  bowed  head,  while  Jesus 
went  on  and  finished  his  discourse.  Then  the  man,  with 
sobs  and  tears,  cast  liimself  at  Jesus'  feet  and  besought 
hirti  to  let  him  remain  with  him  and  be  his  servant.  But 
Jesus  commanded  a  smith  who  was  present  to  strike  the 
fetters  from  the  man  and  to  let  him  go,  which  he  did  with 
fear  and  reluctance,  and  the  man  was  restored  from  that 
hour. 

The  stories  about  this  incident  that  went  abroad  were 
various,  and  soon  became  greatly  exaggerated  and  even 
whimsical.  Jesus  tried  to  have  them  corrected,  but  he 
found  it  entirely  impossible  to  put  the  matter  right,  and 
so  ceased  to  give  any  attention  to  it. 

When  Jesus  left  the  hill-country  and  came  down  to  the 
cities  of  the  coast,  he  already  had  a  large  following  and 
his  fame  had  preceded  him.  The  first  city  visited  was 
Chorazin,  which  was  a  place  much  frequented  by  low 
class  people  of  all  sects  and  denominations,  Jews  as  well 
as  heathen,  on  account  of  its  ancient  grove  and  shrine  on 
a  hill,  where,  it  was  said,  the  ancient  Canaanites  and  kings 
of  Israel,  from  Solomon  down,  had  offered  incense  to  Baal 
and  Ashtoreth.  It  still  shared  with  Jerusalem,  Tyre,  and 
Sidon  the  fame  of  being  a  holy  place. 


XXXIV 

CHORAZIN 

"  He  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene,  out  of  whom  he  had  cast 
seven  devils." — Mark  xvi-9. 

If  we  take  our  stand  in  the  market  place  in  Chorazin, 
on  a  morning  at  this  time,  we  may  be  present  at  one  of 
the  great  gatherings  where  Jesus  now  daily  appeals. 

It  is  still  early,  but  the  crowd  has  begun  to  gather,  and 
we  can  well  believe  that  the  place,  which  is  said  to  hold  ten 
thousand  people,  will  soon  be  crowded.  Boats  full  of 
people  are  arriving  at  the  wharf,  which  is  in  plain  view, 
and  the  lake  far  away  towards  Hippos  and  Tiberias  is 
dotted  with  approaching  sails.  We  remark,  first  of  all, 
that  this  gathering  of  people  are  nearly  all  of  one  class, 
the  despised  Amhaartz.  There  is  considerable  variety  of 
costume  and  manner  of  life  and  appearance,  but  the  ex- 
perienced eye  at  once  detects  that  they  are  all  "  sinners, 
unclean,"  and  abhorrent  in  every  way  to  the  orthodox 
Jew.  A  large  proportion  are  of  the  poor  peasantry  from 
the  hill-country  of  Galilee,  rough,  unwashed  grubbers  and 
vine  dressers,  clothed  in  their  one  garment  of  coarse  brown 
stuff  gathered  in  about  the  loins  with  a  raw  leather  girdle, 
and  speaking  a  rude  patois  that  has  made  them  subject 
time  out  of  mind  to  gibes  and  ridicule  by  the  more  elegant 
Jerusalemites. 

With  them  are  quite  a  number  of  that  noisy,  turbulent, 
swearing  set,  the  fishermen  of  the  lake,  but  these  are  more 
clannish  and  keep  mostly  bj^  themselves.  More  notable 
still  are  the  shepherds  of  Perea  and  far  Bashan,  who  are 
here  in  quite  large  numbers.  They  are  a  stalwart,  fierce- 
looking  lot,  clothed  in  their  one  garment  of  sheep-skin, 

305 


306  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  every  man  armed  with  a  sling  and  short  sword.  They 
appear  more  like  bandits  than  peaceable  citizens. 

In  all,  however,  of  whatever  class,  we  note  an  expression 
of  sober,  earnest  seriousness,  as  if  matters  of  great  im- 
portance are  on  their  minds.  Though  mainly  the  same 
men  we  saw  at  the  Chariot  Race  in  Tiberias,  they  are  in  a 
mood  so  different  we  may  scarcely  recognize  them.  For 
now  appears  here,  as  at  Tiberias,  our  old  acquaintance, 
the  juggling  seller  of  charms  and  amulets.  With  bold 
effrontery  he  spreads  his  mat  in  an  open  space  and  begins, 
as  at  Tiberias,  in  a  loud  voice  to  advertise  his  wares.  He 
has  scarcely  begun,  however,  before  a  stout,  young  fisher- 
man starts  from  the  crowd  and  with  a  sweep  of  his  foot 
scatters  and  breaks  up  the  whole  outfit,  whereupon  the 
juggler,  with  horrid  oaths,  whips  out  a  long,  gleaming 
knife  and  makes  a  wild  rush  at  the  fisherman ;  but  the 
latter,  showing  no  sign  of  fear,  dextrously  catching  the 
juggler  by  the  wrist,  easily  disarms  him,  and  then,  giving 
him  a  few  sounding  buffets  with  his  bare  hand,  drives  him, 
cursing  and  screaming,  away  from  the  market  place.  As 
the  young  fisherman  turns  and  comes  laughing  back,  we 
are  not  displeased  to  recognize  in  him  our  friend  Simon, 
the  son  of  Jonas. 

As  we  move  freely  among  the  crowd,  we  pass  where  a 
group  of  persons  are  listening  to  a  voluble  talker  who  ap- 
pears to  be  one  of  the  better  sort  from  the  hill-country  of 
Galilee.  We  hear  him  saying  something  about  Jesus,  and 
we  draw  near  and  listen.  "  Yes,  his  name  is  Jesus,"  the 
man  is  saying,  "  some  say  of  Nazareth,  but  that  isn't  so : 
he  was  seen  with  John  beyond  Jordan  a  long  time  ago; 
and  no  one  knows  where  he  came  from,  and  no  one  ever 
wiU:  he  came  from  God,  and  that  is  enough." 

A  shepherd  of  rather  distinguished  appearance  here 
interrupted  by  saying,  "  Yes,  I  saw  him  with  John  a  long 
time  ago  at  the  cave  of  Addi,  and  I  saw  John  baptize  him 


CHORAZIN  307 

only  a  few  weeks  ago ;  and  there  came  a  sign  from  heaven, 
and  a  voice  that  some  said  was  the  Bath  Quol.  I  stood 
near  John  and  Jesus  before  they  went  down  into  the  water, 
and  I  heard  John  say  that  Jesus  should  be  the  one  to 
baptize  him,  and  not  he  Jesus ;  and  he  said  that  Jesus  was 
a  greater  man  than  he.  And  when  they  came  up  out  of 
the  water,  there  was  a  voice  from  heaven,  the  Bath  Quol, 
some  said,  and  a  great  light  that  dazzled  the  eyes,  and 
with  the  light  came  a  white  dove  that  lighted  on  Jesus' 
head." 

"  And  you  saw  and  heard  it  all !  "  said  the  first  speaker, 
decisively,  and  was  going  on  with  further  confirmation, 
but  was  intennipted  by  the  shepherd. 

"  Nay,  nay,  I  cannot  just  say  that  I  saw  and  heard  it 
all  myself,"  he  said.  "  I  was  too  far  away  from  the  last 
part  of  it.  I  did  see  a  great  light  on  the  water,  that 
dazzled  my  ej^es,  so  I  didn't  see  the  dove ;  but  I  heard  hun- 
dreds of  people  say  afterwards  that  there  was  a  dove  and 
a  voice." 

"  Yes,  it  is  all  true,"  rejoined  the  first  speaker,  "  and  I 
can  tell  you  another  miracle  that  Jesus  did,  that  I  saw 
with  my  own  eyes  and  I  will  swear  to  it.  At  Betharbel, 
where  I  live,  there  has  long  been  a  man  so  possessed  with 
devils  that  no  one  could  tame  him,  and  nothing  could  be 
done  with  him.  He  broke  his  chains  like  straw,  and  came 
and  went  just  any  way  the  devil  drove  him.  Well,  that 
one  possessed  came  one  Sabbath  where  Jesus  was  preaching, 
and  shouted  out  a  lot  of  gibberish  that  meant  that  Jesus 
had  come  to  torment  him  before  his  time.  Well,  what 
did  Jesus  do,  but  just  put  out  his  hand,  making  a  sign 
like  this  (with  a  gesture  in  the  air),  and  said,  '  I  command 
ye  to  come  out  of  him!'  and  with  that,  making  an  awful 
cry,  the  devil  went  out  of  the  man  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning, and  we  all  saw  it." 

"  Do  you  say  that  Jesus  healed  the  man  possessed,  on 


308  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  Sabbath  day?"  asked  a  hawk-nosed  old  Israelite  who 
was  leaning  upon  a  staff  and  had  been  listening  very  at- 
tentively. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  man  from  Betharbel,  "  he  did 
that  on  the  Sabbath,  and  he  did  other  things.  He  car- 
ried the  burden  of  a  poor  slave  woman  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  and  he  showed  in  his  discourse  how  it  was  right  to 
do  so." 

"  Will  he  set  up  to  contradict  the  holy  Rabbis  and 
Moses  and  the  Law  ?  "  cried  the  old  man,  growing  ex- 
cited. "  I  warn  ye,  this  Jesus  is  a  false  prophet,  and  I 
will  none  of  him." 

All  eyes  are  at  once  turned  upon  the  old  man,  and  we 
may  notice  that  he  alone  of  all  about  him  is  clothed  with 
a  Tallith  of  fine  cloth,  with  fringes,  and  wears  also  large 
showy  phylacteries.  As  he  passes  on,  striking  his  staff 
angrily  upon  the  pavement  and  mumbling  his  dis- 
content, one  who  has  not  before  spoken  explains  in  a  low, 
guarded  voice  that  the  old  man  is  the  Chazzan  of  the 
synagogue  at  Chorazin,  and  a  "  Chabber "  (rich  man) 
there. 

"  I  can  well  believe  you,"  answers  the  first  speaker, 
with  something  of  anger  in  his  tone.  "  The  synagogue 
and  the  rich  are  down  on  Jesus,  just  as  they  were  on 
John, —  and  they  have  reason  to  be.  He  consorts  more 
with  the  poor  and  unclean,  and  when  he  goes  to  a  syna- 
gogue he  talks  to  the  rich  and  great  in  a  way  they  can't 
stand:  he  calls  them  whited  sepulchers,  extortioners,  rob- 
bers of  the  poor  and  the  fatherless.  I  tell  you  he  gives 
it  to  them  hot  and  heavy.  Up  at  Nazareth  the  other  day, 
where  he  went  from  Betharbel,  they  drove  him  out  of 
their  synagogue  and  tried  to  kill  him,  and  would,  I  be- 
lieve, if  there  hadn't  been  a  lot  of  us  fellows  there  who 
followed  him  from  Betharbel.  Though  a  great  Rabbi, 
as  any  one  can  see,  he  cares  nothing  for  hand-washing 
and  doesn't  at  all  mind  eating  and  drinking  and  touching 


CHORAZIN  309 

elbows  with  us  common  people  or  with  anybody.  I've 
seen  him  talking  with  a  Samaritan,  even." 

"  I  like  not  that,"  cried  out  a  wizened  and  wrinkled  old 
man  who  had  not  before  spoken.  "  It's  all  right  for  him 
to  consort  with  poor  Jews,  the  real  children  of  Abraham, 
but  those  cursed  Samaritans  are  sons  of  Belial  altogether ; 
if  this  Jesus  were  a  true  prophet,  he  would  know  better 
than  to  have  anything  to  do  with  them.  I  doubt  if  he  is 
a  true  prophet." 

Many  scowling  looks  were  turned  upon  the  old  man, 
and  he  from  Bctharbel  at  once  made  answer.  "  You  are 
an  old  man,"  he  said,  "  and  your  words  should  be  words 
of  truth  and  soberness,  but  I  must  contend  that  there  is 
no  great  difference  between  Jews  and  Samaritans.  I  live 
where  I  see  much  of  the  Samaritans,  and  I  must  say 
that  I  have  known  as  good  men  among  the  Samari- 
tans as  I  have  among  the  Jews ;  and  I,  for  one,  am  glad 
that  this  Jesus  is  not  too  proud  to  speak  to  them." 

The  old  man  was  eager  to  answer,  but  was  cut  off  by 
the  stalwart  shepherd.  "  All  nations  shall  know  the  Lord, 
is  promised  in  the  scriptures,"  he  said,  "  and  the  Samari- 
tans are  as  near  to  us  as  any  other  nation,  at  least;  and 
as  to  this  Jesus  being  a  true  prophet,  how  can  any  one 
doubt  it?  He  answers  ever}'  requirement.  The  Messiah, 
whom  we  all  know  is  about  to  appear,  is  to  be  preceded  by 
a  great  prophet,  even  Elias,  as  many  believe ;  and  John, 
who  denied  being  himself  the  prophet,  declared  that  this 
Jesus  was  that  prophet." 

"  Hout !  Tout ! "  here  broke  in  the  old  man,  his 
cracked  voice  rising  shrill.  "  Talk  not  to  me  of  a  prophet 
with  a  smooth  face  and  with  hair  and  beard  curly  and 
beautiful,  like  a  Greek  dandy's  and  without  a  gray  hair. 
No  great  prophet  was  ever  that  way,  and  Elias  least  of 
all.  The  great  prophet,  whatever  his  name,  will  be  old, 
leaning  upon  a  staff,  with  hair  and  beard  vchite  as  the 
snows  of  Hermon." 


310  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

While  the  old  man  is  speaking,  there  is  a  great  shout 
raised  among  the  crowd  at  the  entrance  to  the  market 
place,  and  word  is  passed  along  that  Jesus  is  at  hand. 
Instantly  every  tongue  is  stilled  and  every  eye  is  turned 
in  the  direction  indicated.  The  crowd  is  very  great  and 
very  dense,  but  there  seems  no  need  for  Grand  Marshal 
or  plumed  Herald  or  armed  Henchmen.  A  way  is  opened 
up  to  the  dais  at  the  further  side  of  the  market  place  as 
if  by  natural  impulse  of  the  people,  and  on  either  side  of 
the  way  the  sick,  the  lame,  and  the  blind  are  allowed  to 
take  foremost  place,  so  they  may  be  nearest  to  the  Great 
Healer  as  he  passes  along. 

And  now  we  can  see  Jesus  approaching.  There  are 
with  him  the  four  fishermen,  James  and  John,  Simon  and 
Andrew,  who,  though  clad  only  in  their  rough  fisher's 
coats  and  looking  rather  unkempt  and  unwashed,  hold 
their  heads  high  and  look  a  little  proudly  on  the  motley 
throng.  They  even  manifest  some  impatience  that  Jesus 
should  pause  so  long  to  listen  to  the  complaints  of  those 
in  distress,  and  to  speak  words  of  cheer  and  of  comfort  to 
them.  They  think  it  would  be  more  dignified  and  im- 
pressive to  march  straight  along,  after  the  manner  of  the 
great  Rabbis,  with  head  erect,  looking  neither  to  the  right 
nor  left,  seeing  no  one  and  being  only  seen. 

But  Jesus  is  not  thinking  about  being  a  Great  Rabbi, 
nor,  indeed,  about  himself  at  all.  As  he  draws  slowly 
near  and  comes  where  we  can  see  him  plainly  and  look  into 
his  eyes,  we  think  we  see  and  understand  how  it  is  that  the 
word  or  look,  the  very  presence  of  this  man,  exerts  such 
power.  It  is  all  very  simple.  He  has  forgotten  himself. 
The  demon  of  self,  whose  visible  image  is  self-conscious- 
ness, has  been  utterly  cast  out  of  this  man,  leaving  no 
trace.  He  is  thinking  of  you  and  of  me,  and  not  at  all 
of  himself.  We  know  this  without  being  told,  and  we, 
in  common  with  this  vast  throng,  feel  in  looking  upon  him 


CHORAZIN  311 

the  thrill  of  this  supreme  consecration.  We  realize  that 
this  royal  presence  is  also  our  Brother  Man. 

Every  simple,  sincere  soul  is  rapt  in  silent  awe.  Even 
the  old  Chazzan,  who  but  a  moment  ago  was  denouncing 
Jesus,  stands  spellbound,  leaning  upon  his  staff,  with  jaw 
dropped  and  with  amazement  written  on  his  stubborn, 
Jewish  face.  A  Canaanite  camel-driver  at  our  side  in- 
stinctively bows  his  head  and  mutters  an  invocation ;  and 
a  pale,  wan,  shriveled  wreck  of  a  woman,  clad  in  filthy 
rags,  casts  herself  at  Jesus'  feet,  with  her  face  in  the  dust. 
She  is  the  vilest  of  the  vile :  her  touch,  or  even  her  breath, 
is  pollution  to  a  Rabbi. 

And  Jesus  is  thought  to  be  a  great  Rabbi.  What  will 
Jesus  do !  Instead  of  scorn  or  contempt,  instead,  even, 
of  condescension,  he  becomes,  for  the  moment,  this  wretched 
being  at  his  feet.  His  spirit  is  her  spirit!  He  has  put 
himself  in  her  place !  She  is  his  sister !  He  cannot  help 
feeling  so, —  it  is  the  divine  in  him  which  has  risen  above 
all  earthly  trammels  and  proclaims  the  Brotherhood  of 
Man.  A  look  of  mingled  pity  and  of  pain  speaks  in  his 
face,  as  he  stoops  and  takes  the  poor  creature  by  the  arm 
and  raises  her  up.  She  covers  her  face  with  her  hands 
and  breaks  forth  into  uncontrollable  sobs. 

Jesus  speaks.  "  God's  peace  be  unto  thee,  thou 
daughter  of  Abraham.  Thy  sins  may  be  many,  but  they, 
may  all  be  forgiven.      Go,  and  sin  no  more." 

The  old  Chazzan,  who  had  started  forward,  elbowing 
his  way  through  the  crowd,  is  near  enough  to  hear  these 
words  of  Jesus,  and  his  amazement  is  turned  into  wrath ; 
words  of  fierce  denunciation  spring  to  his  lips,  but,  look- 
ing around  upon  the  stern,  rapt  faces  about  him,  he 
wisely  holds  his  peace.  These  wild  shepherds  of  the 
mountains  and  these  turbulent  fishermen  might  tear  him  in 
pieces  at  a  word:  he  will  reserve  his  strictures  for  a  more 
favorable  occasion. 


312  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

And  now  from  the  direction  of  the  dais,  where  Jesus 
is  to  preach,  comes  the  sound  of  tumult,  and  a  woman's 
voice  rises  at  intervals  above  the  uproar,  like  the  scream 
of  a  fife  above  the  roar  of  trumpets.  For  an  instant 
we  see  Jesus'  attention  attracted  by  the  sound,  and 
a  look  of  pain  and  questioning  speaks  in  his  face ; 
then  he  moves  on,  making  no  further  pause.  By  push- 
ing our  way  vigorously,  we  are  able  to  keep  near  to  Jesus, 
and  come  out  at  last  at  the  foot  of  the  dais. 

Meantime  the  noise  and  tumult  have  ceased,  and  when 
we  arrive  at  the  dais,  the  helpless  crowd  is  gazing  silentl}' 
at  an  object  on  the  platform  that  makes  us  shudder,  and 
grow  sick  at  heart.  A  woman,  closely  veiled  but  in  scant 
and  indecent  dress  and  unattended,  lolls,  sprawling,  on  a 
bench  of  the  platform ;  but  as  Jesus  draws  near  she  springs 
to  her  feet,  and  with  still  some  reminiscence  of  the  grace 
of  youth  reels  off  a  Bacchanalian  dance,  twanging  wildly 
a  battered  tambourine  and  singing,  in  an  unnaturally  high 
key,  one  of  Anacreon's  most  filthy  songs. 

In  common  with  the  hushed  crowd  around  us,  we  feel, 
and  know  not  why,  that  it  is  an  awful  moment.  We  al- 
most cease  to  breathe,  and  our  hearts  stop  beating,  as  in 
deadly  fear.  Who  and  what  is  this  fearsome  thing,  and 
what  will  Jesus  do !  For  a  moment  even  he  seems  stunned 
and  overwhelmed.  The  veins  upon  his  brow  swell  and 
throb,  and  he  puts  out  a  trembling  hand  to  steady  him- 
self against  the  baluster.  He  pauses  and  his  lips  move. 
He  closes  his  eyes  a  moment,  and  then  he  passes  on ;  but 
the  look  of  agony  does  not  pass,  the  great  vein  on  his 
brow  still  swells  and  throbs,  and  his  face  about  the  nose 
and  mouth  is  lined  and  drawn. 

But  he  mounts  to  the  low  platform  with  a  firm  step 
and  a  tranquil  eye,  as  if  knowing  well  what  he  will  do. 
Of  the  twenty  thousand  eyes  fixed  upon  him  he  is  en- 
tirely oblivious:  he  is  intent  only  on  this  demoniac  out- 
cast who  has  come  here  to  mock  and  defy  him.     While 


CHORAZIN  313 

lie  looks  calmly  upon  her,  she  continues  her  wild  gyrations 
and  obscene  posturings,  with  the  singing  and  the  violent 
beating  of  her  tambourine,  but  with  her  face  still  covered 
and  without  taking  any  notice  of  the  presence  of  Jesus. 

At  last  Jesus  raises  his  hand  and  speaks  to  the  woman. 
We  cannot  hear  what  he  says ;  but  as  if  smitten  with  a 
spell,  the  woman  stops  short  and  turns  and  looks  at  Jesus. 
Through  the  openings  of  her  veil  we  catch  a  glimpse  of 
wild,  staring,  black  eyes  that  thrill  like  an  electric  shock. 
An  instant  Jesus  and  the  woman  stand  thus,  looking 
straight  into  each  other's  e3'es. 

Then  with  a  cry  the  woman  casts  herself  at  Jesus'  feet, 
clasping  them  with  her  hands  and  bathing  them  with  her 
tears.  Again  Jesus  speaks  to  the  woman,  but  in  low  tones 
and  words  intended  only  for  her.  After  a  time,  when  the 
woman's  sobs  have  become  less  violent,  Jesus  stoops  and 
raises  her  up.  Again  their  eyes  meet,  and  the  woman, 
gathering  her  rags  and  tatters  about  her,  comes  down 
from  the  platform  and,  regarding  no  one,  sits  down  on 
the  ground. 

To  the  discourse  which  followed  the  woman  listened, 
without  visible  sign.  Jesus  made  no  allusion  to  her.  He 
read  for  his  text  the  twentieth  and  thirty-fourth  chapters 
of  Job,  and  his  discourse  consisted,  as  with  John,  largely 
of  denunciation  of  the  rich  and  great  and  threatenings  of 
coming  vengeance. 


RACHEL  S    LETTER. 

Rachel,  the  daughter  of  Nicodemus,  at 
Chorazin,   to  her   father   at  Jerusalem. 

"  I  must  begin  my  letter  to  you,  my  dear  father,  by 
confessing  that  in  writing  I  am  disobeying  No,  not  dis- 
obeying, for  that  I  could  never  do, —  but  evading  your  in- 
structions to  retire  early  to  bed.  But  I  am  so  sure  that 
vou  would  approve,  or  at  least  allow,  this  exception  that  I 


314  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

dare  to  make  it.  I  could  not  sleep  if  I  were  in  bed.  My 
mind  has  been  so  wrought  up  by  the  events  of  the  day, — • 
and  then  the  messenger  to  Jerusalem  goes  early  to-morrow 
morning,  and  I  cannot  let  him  go  without  sending  you 
some  word  of  what  is  passing  here. 

"  You  remember  how  we  were  impressed  with  the  preach- 
ing of  John  the  Baptist  at  Jordan  and  how  he  spoke  of 
one  who  was  to  come  after  him,  and  whose  shoes  he  was 
not  worthy  to  unloose.  Well,  that  One  whom  John  fore- 
told has  appeared  here  since  John  was  in  prison,  and  I 
have  seen  and  heard  him.  Much  as  we  admired  and  were 
astonished  at  John,  he  did  not  prophesy  wrong  when  he 
said  that  a  greater  was  to  come.  This  new  preacher  is 
called  Jesus,  and  is  reported  to  be  originally  of  Nazareth, 
though  some  say  that  he  has  lived  mostly  in  the  deserts 
with  John  and  the  Essenes.  He  does  dress  like  the  Essenes, 
such  as  we  often  see  at  Jerusalem, —  all  in  pure  white  and 
without  head  covering,  and  with  long  hair  and  beard  like 
the  Nazarites ;  and  some  again  say  he  is  a  Nazarite,  like 
John. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  know  the  truth  about  this  man,  I 
fear,  for  everything  is  said  of  him.  Indeed  one  poor, 
wretched  looking  man  in  the  market  place  to-day  screamed 
out,  calling  him  the  Messiah  and  the  son  of  David,  while 
Uncle  Heber,  who  is  very  angry  with  Jesus  for  what  he 
calls  his  heathenish  doctrines  and  practices,  declares  that 
he  is  a  wizard  and  possessed  of  a  devil.  But  Uncle 
Heber  says  the  same  of  John,  and  declares  that  both  he 
and  this  Jesus  should  be  stoned  according  to  the  law  of 
Moses.  He  thinks  their  preaching,  if  allowed  to  go  on, 
will  destroy  the  synagogue  and  end  all  worship  at  Jerusa- 
lem. 

"  But  whoever  this  Jesus  is,  he  has  created  an  excite- 
ment here  that  is  beyond  anything  you  can  imagine. 
Uncle  Heber  says  there  are  ten  thousand  strangers  now 
in  Chorazin,  and  more   coming  in  all  the  time, —  rough, 


CHORAZIN  815 

outlandish  men,  it  is  true,  but  they  are  all  Jews,  and  they 
are  all  very  much  in  earnest  about  something.  Uncle 
Heber  says  they  are  all  vile  Amhaartz,  ready  to  follow 
any  artful  demagogue,  and  at  a  word  from  Jesus  would 
march  on  Tiberias  or  Jerusalem  and  attack  the  soldiers 
there  with  their  bare  hands,  which  could  only  end  in 
massacre  and  make  the  Romans  harder  upon  our  nation 
than  ever. 

"  Of  course  I  don't  know  about  these  things,  but  I  am 
quite  sure  that  this  Jesus  himself  is  a  good  man.  None 
of  God's  creatures,  man  or  animal,  can,  I  believe,  look 
upon  him  without  feeling  that  he  is  good,  that  he  is  their 
friend.  Even  Uncle  Heber  admits  that  this  is  so,  and 
that  he  was  himself  impressed  that  way  at  first;  but  he 
says  now  that  it  was  a  sorcerer's  spell  that  Jesus  threw 
around  him.  It  is  impossible  to  convey  in  words  the 
effect  this  man  has  on  people  by  his  mere  presence,  and 
more  by  his  words,  his  looks,  his  manner,  and  the  tone  of 
his  voice.  You  must  come  yourself  and  see,  before  you 
can  ever  knew  the  half. 

"  I  was  quite  near  to  him  this  morning  when  he  took  up 
and  healed  a  poor  wretched  woman  of  the  street  who  had 
cast  herself  down  before  him.  It  is  truly  presumptuous 
for  me  to  attempt  to  describe  anything  at  all  about  this 
man,  for,  as  I  said,  words  fail  altogether.  The  first  im- 
pression of  the  man  is  of  goodness,  sweetness,  innocence, 
as  of  a  little  child.  He  looks  straight  into  your  eyes 
with  the  trusting,  open,  inquiring  gaze  of  a  child ;  and  yet 
you  are  pierced  by  it,  as  by  a  dart.  You  feel  that  he  is 
looking  at  your  very  soul.  But  you  are  not  alarmed,  for, 
as  I  said,  j'our  whole  impression  of  the  man  is  goodness ; 
and  if  he  does  look  into  your  soul  and  judges  it,  you  know 
that  he  will  be  kind.  And  so  I  think  Uncle  Heber  is  al- 
together wrong  in  thinking  that  this  Jesus  will  incite 
men  to  war  or  violence  of  any  kind. 

*'  The  effect  of  his  preaching,  even  though  he  is  very 


316  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

hard  on  the  rich  and  the  great  and  even  the  priests,  Is, 
very  curiously,  of  a  nature  that  makes  everybody  cry 
rather  than  fight.  He  makes  the  sins  of  men  appear  so 
sad  a  thing  that  before  you  know  it  j^our  tears  are  flowing, 
—  and  not  bitter,  hopeless  tears,  either,  for  somehow  he 
makes  you  feel  hopeful  and  joyful,  and  your  tears  are 
glad  tears.  Everyone  was  in  tears  when  he  ceased  speak- 
ing, and  old  men  embraced  each  other  because  they  were  so 
glad. 

"  Uncle  Heber  complains  that  women  go  wild  over  him, 
and  some  rich  women,  he  says,  are  at  charges  to  keep  him 
nicely  clothed  and  fed.  It  may  well  be,  for,  so  different 
from  John,  who  was  really  dirty  and  repulsive  in  his  dress 
and  appearance,  Jesus  is  clothed  neatly  and  becomingly, 
though  simply,  and  his  hair  and  beard  shining  with  oil 
and  very  beautiful,  instead  of  being  matted  and  uncombed, 
as  John's  was.  Now  do  not  think  that  I  have  gone  wild 
over  this  man,  but  at  the  same  time  I  can  well  see  how  a 
woman  might  deem  it  a  happiness  to  die  for  him." 

(Later.)  "I  was  called  off  from  my  writing  by  a 
variety  of  strange  sounds,  and  have  been  sitting  at  my 
window,  which  overlooks  the  market  place  and  the  great 
wharf,  for  an  hour,  listening  and  looking.  Though  it  is 
now  past  the  second  watch,  the  city  is  astir  as  at  sunset. 
There  are  lights  everywhere,  and  singing  and  music  of  in- 
struments. Then  a  considerable  company,  just  landed  at 
the  wharf  (as  I  heard  one  say,  from  in  and  about  Golan), 
went  singing  beneath  my  window.  And  besides,  on  the 
housetop  right  over  my  head  are  Uncle  Heber  and  all  the 
rulers  of  the  synagogue,  consulting  what  to  do  about 
Jesus. 

"  They  are  as  much  excited  as  the  common  people  are, 
though  in  a  very  different  way.  And  so  altogether,  you 
can  see  why  I  cannot  sleep ;  and  since  I  cannot,  I  may  as 
well  relate  another  incident  In  to-day's  proceedings,  that. 


CHORAZIN  317 

because  I  don't  much  understand  it,  I  had  thought  to  let 
pass.  You  remember  when  we  were  at  Jordan  there  was 
a  woman  of  very  distinguished  appearance  with  the  com- 
pany of  Honorius  from  Tiberias. 

"  You  noticed  her,  and  found  on  inquiry  that  she  was  a 
Jewess  who  had  gone  astray.  You  said  that  she  was 
hopelessly  lost.  Well,  it  appears  that  this  woman,  who 
is  called  Mary  of  Magdala,  became  converted,  or  at  least 
convicted,  by  John's  preaching,  and  offered  herself  for 
baptism,  and  was  refused  and  turned  away  by  John  be- 
cause she  was,  of  course,  unclean.  When  turned  away  by 
John,  she  did  not  go  back  to  Honorius,  but  came  here  to 
Chorazin  and  became  such  a  monster  of  sin  that  Uncle 
Heber  says  she  had  seven  devils.  She  gave  great  trouble 
at  the  synagogue,  and  everyAvhere.  Well,  to-day,  as  Jesus 
was  coming  to  the  raised  place  where  he  was  to  speak,  this 
woman  stepped  on  before  him,  and  began  dancing  heathen- 
ish dances,  and  singing  heathenish  songs,  such  as  she  had 
learned  at  Rome  and  Antioch,  where  she  has  been  with 
Honorius. 

"  Of  course  no  one  dared  touch  her,  because  she  is  pos- 
sessed with  devils,  and  so  she  was  going  on  at  a  dreadful 
rate  when  Jesus  came.  At  first  even  he  seemed  to  fear 
and  tremble  before  the  woman,  and  the  evil  spirit  possess- 
ing her  appeared  to  be  stronger  even  than  he.  I  was  quite 
near,  and  I  was  really  frightened  by  the  awful  look  on 
Jesus'  face,  and  he  had  to  support  himself  by  grasping 
hold  of  the  baluster.  It  was  a  terrible  scene,  and  I  came 
near  fainting  away.  But  Jesus  rallied  after  an  instant, 
and  still  with  the  awful  look  on  his  face  went  straight  to- 
wards the  woman,  and  made  some  magical  sign  over  her 
with  his  hand,  at  the  same  time  speaking  certain  words 
and  fixing  his  eyes  steadfastly  upon  her.  At  once  the 
woman  ceased  her  devilish  perfonnances  and  fell  at  Jesus' 
feet,  crying  and  sobbing  like  a  child. 

"  Then  Jesus  took  hold  of  her,  vile  and  unclean  as  she 


318  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

was,  and  he  a  great  Rabbi,  and  lifted  her  up ;  and  she  at 
once  went  quietly  away  and  sat  down  on  the  ground,  like 
a  slave  woman.  Now  I  know  it  is  not  meet  for  a  young 
girl  like  me  to  dispute  or  argue  with  my  elders,  like  Uncle 
Heber;  but  it  is  something  that  you,  mj'  father,  may  and 
will  think  about.  This  man  Jesus  is  certainly  performing 
miracles, —  Uncle  Heber  does  not  deny  that.  And  the 
question  is,  whence  has  he  this  power?  Uncle  Heber  says 
that  he  gets  his  power  of  Satan,  and  that  he  uses  spells  and 
incantations  learned  of  heathen  Egyptians  or  Babylonians. 
I  should  have  accepted  this  explanation  without  question, 
had  I  not  overheard  Rabbi  Zechariah  last  night  telling 
Uncle  Heber  that  King  Solomon  and  King  Hezekiah  both 
possessed  secret  words  and  spells  by  which  they  could  com- 
mand not  only  devils  but  cherubim  and  angels  of  God. 
He  said  that  it  was  believed  by  many  learned  Rabbis  that 
the  signet  ring  of  King  Solomon  was  possessed  by  King 
Hezekiah,  and  is  still  in  existence  somewhere,  and  that 
whoever  finds  it  and  learns  how  to  use  it  will  command 
spirits,  just  as  King  Solomon  did.  You  have  read  and 
studied  much  of  these  things  and  will  know  better  what  to 
believe. 

"  The  company  on  the  housetop  over  my  head  has  at 
last  broken  up,  and  the  singing  and  noise  in  the  market 
place  has  ceased,  though  I  still  see  some  moving  lights ; 
and  there  are  ships  arriving  at  the  wharf,  as  I  can  now  see 
by  the  light  of  the  moon,  which  has  risen  over  the  far-off 
hills.  The  world  is  very  beautiful  as  I  look  out  upon  it 
from  my  window. 

"  You  remember  the  orange  and  almond  trees  near  the 
fountain  in  Uncle  Heber's  garden,  which  you  admired  so 
much.  The  almonds  are  in  fruit  now  and  the  orange  trees 
in  full  bloom.  The  odor  of  their  blossoms  comes  in  at  my 
windows  and  fills  my  room  with  delicious  fragrance.  And 
then  the  lake,  spread  out  before  me  with  its  ever  changing 
views,  is  a  never  ending  delight, —  its  lights  and  shadows 


CHORAZIN  819 

under  the  moon  and  the  stars,  its  placid  sleep,  its  wild 
tossings,  its  mysterious  depths.  Now  it  is  still,  and  as 
smooth  as  glass,  and  the  moonlight  upon  it  makes  it  glitter 
like  a  sheet  of  silver.  At  this  moment  I  see  in  the  gilded 
pathway,  with  its  background  of  purple  hills,  two  ships 
coming  in.  Their  sails  hang  loose  and  useless,  and  I  can 
see  the  lift  of  oars  and  the  sheen  and  sparkle  of  the  water 
as  they  dip  and  lift;  and  then  faintly  across  the  water  I 
catch  the  sound  of  voices,  singing  that  grand  old  Psalm 
you  love  so  well,  '  Let  God  arise ;  let  his  enemies  be  scat- 
tered.' 

"  It  is  all  very  beautiful,  and  late  as  it  is,  I  am  loath 
to  leave  it  and  go  away  to  sleep  and  forgetfulness.  The 
events  of  the  day  have  been  so  strange  and  wonderful,  and 
there  is  such  a  fascination  about  this  man  Jesus  I  can  not 
stop  thinking  about  him.  They  say  he  spends  whole 
nights  alone  on  the  mountains !  Perhaps  he  is  there  now, 
sleepless  like  me,  so  lonely  and  solitary  and  mysterious. 
O  my  father,  do  come  and  see  and  hear  this  man  for  your- 
self, and  tell  me  what  to  believe.  Salute  Naanah  and 
Abigail  for  me,  and  receive  for  yourself  a  good-night  kiss 
from  your  perplexed  but  loving  daughter. 

"  Dear  Father,  good-night.  Rachel. 


"  Morning !  I  have  slept  a  sweet  sleep,  and  dreamed 
such  a  beautiful  dream.  I  will  tell  it  you  when  you  come, 
for  I  shall  never  forget  it.  If  Varus  inquires  for  me,  tell 
him  —  well  —  tell  him  what  you  please :  it  matters  not.  If 
we  could  only  convert  him  to  be  a  Jew,  it  would  help  our 
nation,  would  it  not?     But  the  messenger  comes. 

"Again,  good-bye!  Rachel." 


XXXIV 

ALONE 

"  And  when  he  had  sent  the  multitude  away,  he  went  up  into  a 
mountain  apart  to  pray,  and  when  the  evening  was  come,  he  was 
there  alone." —  Matthew  xiv-23. 

When  Jesus  had  ended  his  discourse,  he  withdrew  himself 
as  soon  as  possible  thereafter  and,  unknown  even  to  his  dis- 
ciples, set  out  alone  to  seek  solitude  and  repose  in  the  moun- 
tains. 

It  had  been  Jesus'  life-long  habit  to  be  much  alone,  and 
now  since  his  public  ministry  began  he  found  solitude  more 
than  ever  necessary  to  his  life.  The  incessant  demands 
and  prying  curiosity  of  the  unrestrained  and  inconsiderate 
mob  left  him  no  leisure  or  privacy,  and  little  time  even  for 
needed  sleep.  Even  his  chosen  disciples,  with  that  naive 
obtuseness  so  strangely  exhibited  on  many  occasions,  so 
far  from  protecting  him  from  the  unconscionable  demands 
of  the  crowd,  were  themselves  often  guilty  of  inconsiderate 
intrusion.  They  regarded  his  solitary  wanderings  and 
musings  with  a  mingled  feeling  of  superstitious  awe  and 
pert  curiosity.  And  so  not  only  for  secret  communion 
with  God  and  his  own  soul  was  Jesus  compelled  to  seek 
mountain  solitudes,  but  from  the  sheer  necessity  for  rest 
and  recuperation. 

He  had  now  no  home,  no  place  where  he  could  be  secure 
from  the  intrusions  of  curiosity  or  even  of  enmity.  He 
had  not,  as  he  said,  "  where  to  lay  his  head."  He  began 
to  think  of  the  foxes  whose  holes  he  had  known  so  well 
when  a  boy,  and  the  birds  in  their  nests,  with  envy.  He 
longed  for  a  place,  if  it  were  only  a  cave  in  the  rocks,  like 
Addi's,  where  he  might  rest  in  peace. 

On  tliis  occasion  he  had  separated  himself  from  every- 

320 


ALONE  321 

one,  and  started  away  for  the  hills  without  plan  for  going 
to  any  particular  place.  He  only  wanted  to  escape  from 
the  intolerable  stress  and  burden  of  the  crowd  and  to  be 
alone.  It  was  the  end  of  a  week  of  exhausting  effort. 
To-morrow  was  the  Sabbath,  and  he  knew  that  if  he  re- 
mained in  the  city  he  would  find  no  rest. 

And  so,  with  the  descending  sun  sinking  towards  the 
western  hills,  we  find  him  walking  westward  towards  Cana. 
He  had  not  thought  of  going  to  Cana,  but  when,  from  a 
turn  in  the  path,  he  caught  sight  of  the  blue  hills  where  he 
had  spent  some  of  childhood's  happiest  hours,  and  where, 
O  God !  he  had  dreamed  Youth's  dream  —  and  seen  Youth's 
vision, —  a  dream  and  a  vision  such  as  the  heaven-bom 
only  know, —  when  the  thoughts  of  these  things,  mingling 
as  they  did  with  that  wild  nightmare  of  the  day,  came  over 
him,  he  forgot  for  the  moment  his  high  ideal  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  become  again  a  poor,  heart-wrung,  bitter, 
and  homesick  Son  of  Man. 

A  thousand  thoughts  crowded  thick  upon  him,  and  alas ! 
they  were  only  worldly,  selfish  thoughts,  so  discouraging 
to  his  lofty  ideals  that  they  made  him  faint  and  sick  at 
heart.  A  little  rocky  glen  came  in  here  upon  the  path, 
and  Jesus,  turning  aside  into  it,  lay  down  on  a  flowery 
bank.  Upon  him,  as  upon  us  all,  the  arch  enemy  was 
descending  in  a  moment  of  exhaustion  and  weakness,  when 
the  armor  had  grown  too  heavy,  and  the  sword  was  broken 
in  his  hand.  Jesus  did  not  remember  that  he  had  eaten 
notliing  since  the  early  morning.  He  only  felt  that  he 
was  possessed  by  thoughts  and  desires  which  were  selfish 
and  worldly,  and  that  he  was  powerless  to  put  them  away. 

The  meeting  with  Mary  in  such  a  tragic  way  had  blown 
the  buried  spark  of  human  passion  into  an  alarming  blaze. 
The  old  feeling  of  hatred  against  those  who  had  so 
wronged  and  desecrated  her  was  again  flaming  dangerously 
up,  and  there  was  the  old  Jewish  thirst  for  vengeance. 
Jesus  was  not  deceived  about  the  root  and  cause  of  this 


322  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

feeling:  he  knew  full  well  that  Mary  by  no  possibility, 
could  be  to  him  more  than  a  friend,  and  yet  he  felt  himself 
helpless  and  drifting  before  this  fierce  sirocco  blast  of 
human  passion  that  he  had  thought  extirpated. 

What  did  it  all  mean !  Jesus  had  already  realized  to 
the  full  that  neither  in  mother  nor  sisters  nor  brethren 
nor  disciples  nor  even  in  John  had  he  any  true  sympathizer 
or  friend,  such  as  the  human  heart,  however  pure  and 
exalted  it  may  be,  instinctively  longs  for.  Even  his 
mother,  whom  he  tenderly  loved,  had  looked  coldly  upon 
him  and  rebuked  him  for  what  she  thought  was  his 
apostasy.  His  kindred  all  looked  upon  him  as  at  least 
a  visionary  dreamer  and  a  possible  demoniac.  Nor  by 
his  disciples  nor  John  was  he  better  understood :  they  could 
conceive  of  no  loftier  goal  than  a  return  to  Moses  and  a 
restoration  of  the  Kingdom  to  Israel. 

Companionless  and  alone  in  this  world  Jesus  knew  him- 
self to  be,  and  his  will  had  accepted  this  condition  with 
cheerful  fortitude.  He  had  resolved  that  persons  or 
things  should  be  nothing  to  him:  he  would  bury  every 
earthly  affection  in  the  one  all-embracing  love  of  human 
kind.  But  with  Jesus,  as  with  every  other  inspired  man, 
every  other  son  of  God,  his  will  was  but  the  bond-servant 
of  his  soul,  and  In  the  awful  presence  of  that  uproused, 
primeval  "  Flame  Image,"  his  will  faltered  and  drew  back. 
The  primary,  underived,  and  uncreated, —  the  Natural, — 
was  asserting  itself  within  him.  He  found  himself  long- 
ing for  companionship,  his  complement,  his  true  mate. 
He  had  thought  to  tread  the  wine  press  alone,  but  the 
burden  was  crushing  him.  There  had  been  that  in  Mary 
before  her  fall  that  had  appealed  to  him  as  a  kindred  soul ; 
his  love  for  her  had  been  darkened  by  no  conscious  tinge 
of  mortal  taint, —  and  he  could  not  forget. 

Now,  in  his  utter  loneliness,  his  heart  yearned  towards 
Mary,  not  indeed  as  a  husband  or  lover,  but  as  the  heart 
of   man   yearns   for   its   mate, —  as   Adam,   lonely    in   the 


ALONE  323 

splendors  of  Paradise,  yearned  for  Eve.  Jesus  was 
scarcely  conscious  of  this  feeling.  Pity,  a  tender,  loving 
pity  for  the  poor  wretch  who  had  wet  his  feet  with  her 
tears  that  day,  was  the  feeling  towards  her  that  seemed 
uppermost  in  his  mind  and  heart.  But  his  pity  was  il- 
lumined and  glorified  by  hope.  He  knew,  for  his  heart 
told  him,  that  INIary  was  a  new  creature.  The  miracle 
of  a  new  heart  had  been  given  her,  and  she  was  no  more  as 
she  had  been.  She  was  the  first  true  fruit  of  his  ministry ; 
through  her  he  already  had,  with  increasing  light,  a 
broader,  deeper  view.  Filled  with  such  thoughts,  vaguely 
looming  before  him,  Jesus  was  entirely  unconscious  of  his 
surroundings. 

Suddenly  a  bird  in  an  almond  tree  near  by  began 
singing  a  song  so  joyous,  sweet,  and  clear  that  Jesus'  at- 
tention was  arrested  by  it.  He  marked  the  beautiful  color 
and  form  of  the  bird's  plumage,  and  noted  the  tone  and 
volume  of  its  song,  and  how  its  throat  swelled  and 
quivered,  and  its  whole  form  seemed  to  dilate  and  aspire 
with  an  inward,  irresistible  stress,  Then  again,  at  an  in- 
stant, Jesus  became  aware  of  the  infinite  depth  of  blue 
overhead.  Lying  on  the  grass,  he  was  looking  straight 
up  into  it,  and  the  thought  came  to  him  of  Infinitude, — 
Infinite  Space!  Was  there  really  no  end.''  And  if  an 
end,  what  was  beyond  the  end ! 

A  cloud,  with  a  dark  center,  bordered  with  light  and 
fringed  with  curling  streamers  of  silver  and  of  gold,  was 
rising  slowly  from  the  "  chambers  of  the  south."  Jesus 
watched  it  swell  and  glow,  resting  on  the  deep  bosom  of 
the  vault  of  blue  till  it  spread  and  thinned  to  a  gauzy 
curtain,  a  vapor,  a  mist,  and  at  last  was  swallowed  up  as 
if  drawn  back  into  the  bosom  of  the  All.  Whence  did  it 
come,  and  whither  did  it  go?  Was  it  a  type  of  the  spirit 
of  man?  Then,  all  at  once,  and  without  any  apparent 
connection,  the  words  came  to  him,  as  if  from  the  sky  itself, 
vivid,  strong,  and  clear.     "  The  soul  of  a  man  may  be 


324  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

bom  again."  "  The  soul  of  a  man  may  be  born  again !  " 
Jesus  sat  up  and  looked  around.  There  was  no  one  in 
sight.  The  bird  had  flown  away,  and  the  sun  was  behind 
the  hill.  "  The  soul  of  a  man  may  be  born  again," 
he  repeated  aloud.  It  was  a  new  thought  not  borrowed 
from  any  ancient  seer,  Hebrew  or  Pagan,  but  sent  straight 
from  Heaven's  Armory  to  him,  to  illuminate  and  renew 
the     world.     Mary     of     Magdala     had     been     born 

AGAIN. 

It  was  still  early  Spring,  and  even  the  barley,  now 
green  and  waving  in  the  fields,  was  not  fit  for  food;  but 
a  neglected  grape  vine,  running  over  a  rocky  ledge  close 
by,  had  on  it  many  clusters  of  withered  but  delicious 
grapes  of  last  season's  vintage,  and  the  almond  tree  over- 
head was  loaded  with  nuts  that  might  be  eaten.  Jesus 
got  up  and  gathered  of  these  as  much  as  he  needed  to 
satisfy  his  hunger,  and  turning  his  face  again  westward, 
was  soon  lost  to  view  on  the  steep  path  towards  Cana. 

It  was  late  in  the  night  when  Jesus  arrived  at  his  old 
haunt  on  the  high  hill  above  Cana.  It  was  dark,  but  he 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  little  nook  in  the  rocks 
where,  as  a  boy,  he  had  often  taken  shelter  for  himself 
and  new-bom  lambs  in  storms.  It  seemed  so  peaceful 
and  restful,  he  was  glad  to  be  there,  and  words  of  grate- 
ful prayer  arose  to  his  lips.  But  Jesus  was  so  exhausted 
that  his  thoughts  wandered,  his  lips  faltered,  and  he  was 
asleep  with  his  prayer  unfinished. 

After  a  short  sleep,  Jesus  awoke  with  a  wide-awake 
consciousness  of  some  one  being  near.  He  listened  atten- 
tively, but  there  was  no  movement  or  sound  except  a 
cricket's  cry  and  the  far-off  bark  of  a  fox.  The  silence 
then  became  profound.  He  tried  to  compose  himself  to 
sleep  again.  But  down  the  mountain's  path  he  heard  a 
footstep  on  the  stones,  and  a  sound  as  of  a  human  voice. 
Jesus  sat  up  and  looked  out.     There  was  a  little  light  of 


ALONE  325 

dawning  day,  and  he  could  see  dimly  the  figure  of  a 
woman  approaching  from  below. 

She  came  slowly  and  painfully  along,  and  sat  down  on 
the  ground  near  the  little  cave  where  Jesus  was.  At  first 
the  woman  sat  in  silence,  with  bowed  head,  but  after  a 
time  she  began  to  make  the  same  low  moaning  sound  that 
Jesus  had  heard  before.  It  seemed  to  be  only  a  sound 
of  pain  and  grief,  but  as  Jesus  listened  he  could  dis- 
tinguish words  of  prayer.  Jesus  arose  and  came  for- 
ward, and  when  the  woman  saw  him,  she  also  arose  and 
looked  at  Jesus,  trembling  and  ready  to  fall ;  when  he 
had  come  quite  near,  she  uttered  a  low  cry  and  sank  down 
lifeless,  like  one  pierced  to  the  heart  by  an  arrow. 

It  was  a  very  painful  situation  for  a  Jew,  and  espe- 
cially for  a  Rabbi ;  but  Jesus  did  not  hesitate.  He  moved 
the  woman  from  the  heap  in  which  she  had  fallen, 
straightening  her  limbs  and  raising  her  head.  He  took 
hold  of  her  hands  and  began  chafing  them,  for  they  were 
quite  cold  and  clammy.  By  the  growing  light  he  could 
see  a  little  ring  of  gold  on  her  finger,  set  with  a  precious 
gem,  and  his  heart  thrilled  when  he  saw  and  recognized 
it  to  be  the  one  he  had  given  to  Mary  of  Magdala  long 
years  ago.  The  woman  wore  no  other  ornament,  and  was 
dressed  in  the  coarse  garments  of  a  serving-woman. 

Jesus  continued  his  efforts  to  restore  the  woman  to 
consciousness ;  and  when  the  day  had  fully  dawned,  she 
opened  her  eyes  and  sat  up.  But  when  she  saw  Jesus, 
she  uttered  a  very  bitter  cry,  and  said,  "  Oh !  you  must 
think  ill  of  me  for  coming  here ;  but  the  good  God  in 
heaven  knows  I  didn't  know,  I  didn't  know.  Oh !  don't 
think  that  I  knew." 

Jesus  was  very,  very  sad,  but  he  answered  kindly, 
"  Weep  not,  and  be  comforted,"  he  said.  "  Thou  needest 
not  fear  that  I  will  not  understand.      I  know !  " 

The  woman  raised  her  eyes  and  met  the  steadfast  gaze 
of  Jesus   with  a   look   of   mingled  wonder,   surprise,   and 


326  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

grateful  love.  At  that  moment  the  first  beams  of  the 
sun,  rising  above  the  far-off  mountains  of  Moab,  shot 
across  the  vast  expanse  beneath  them,  silvering  the  dew- 
drops  on  the  grass  and  the  lilies  at  their  feet,  and  glori- 
fying with  equal  beams  the  rapt  faces  of  these  two 
children  of  God,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  and  Mary  of  Mag- 
dala.  Far  away  beneath  them,  the  still  dark  valley  of  the 
Jordan  and  the  lake  lay  hid  in  mists  and  curling  clouds  of 
vapor,  with  here  and  there  a  rising  tongue  tipped  as  with 
fire.  In  the  distant  north  the  mass  of  cedared  Lebanon 
rose  dark,  and  Hermon's  snowy  crown  was  flushed  with 
crimson,  amethyst,  and  gold. 

"  The  world  is  very  beautiful,"  said  Jesus  simply. 
"  And  God  saw  everything  that  he  had  made,  and  behold, 
it  was  very  good."  Then,  after  a  pause,  "  And  it  might 
be  again  a  paradise  as  to  our  father  Adam  if  only  the 
children  of  men  would  learn  to  live  together  as  brothers 
in  unity." 

While  Jesus  was  speaking  the  sound  of  a  ram's  horn 
from  a  synagogue  in  some  far-off  valley  came  floating 
faintly  upon  the  still  air,  and  Jesus,  turning  his  face 
towards  Jerusalem,  began  repeating  the  morning  prayer: 
"  Hear,  O  Israel !  The  Eternal,  our  God,  is  one  eternal 
God." 

For  a  moment  Mary  stood  hesitating,  then,  with  flow- 
ing tears,  she  joined  in  the  well-known  prayer. 


XXXVI 

ANNAS 

"  We  recall  the  terrorism  which  prevented  Sanhedrists  from 
taking  the  part  of  Jesus,  and  especially  the  violence  which  seems 
to  lia%'e  determined  the  final  action  of  the  Sanhedrin,  against  which 
not  only  such  men  as  Nicodemus  and  Joseph,  but  even  a  Gamaliel, 
would  feel  themselves  powerless." —  Edersheim. 

Jerusalem,  like  a  modern  city,  was  at  this  time  wholly 
dependent  on  the  country  around.  As  a  result  of  the 
preaching  of  John,  the  crowds  attending  the  great  feasts 
had  largely  fallen  off,  and  the  revenues  of  lawyers,  priests, 
and  doctors  were  very  materially  diminished.  Many, 
from  inveterate  habit  and  superstitious  fear,  still  came, 
but  it  was  observed  that  even  these  brought  but  slender 
offerings  and  were  amazingly  disposed  to  cavil  and  con- 
tend. 

In  the  great  Sanhedrin  were  several  men  like  Nicodemus 
and  Joseph  of  Arimathea  who,  by  journey ings  abroad 
to  Rome,  to  Alexandria,  and  even  to  Athens,  and  by  con- 
verse with  Greek  and  Latin  scholars,  had  gained  quite 
advanced  and  liberal  views.  Being  possessed  of  consider- 
able wealth,  they  were  not  dependent  upon  the  Temple 
Service  for  revenue.  They  were  not  in  full  accord  with 
the  legal  and  sacerdotal  class,  whose  worldly  and  material 
interests  were  bound  up  in  the  religious  observances  of 
the  people,  and  they  were  not  trusted  by  them.  Hence 
both  now  and  in  the  last  supreme  effort  to  crush  forever 
the  reform  movement  of  John  and  Jesus,  the  Sanhedrin, 
as  a  body,  was  not  called  together.  A  cabal  of  the  few 
more  reckless,  determined,  and  materially  interested,  was 
alone  consulted  by  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  and  it  was  this 
cabal  of  priests,  lawyers,  and  doctors  who  were  responsible 
for  what  finally  came  to  pass. 

327 


328  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Indeed,  if  the  reader  will  call  to  mind  the  history  of 
the  French  Revolution  and  of  the  Iconoclasts  of  Holland, 
he  will  see  how  a  few  bold  and  reckless  spirits  may,  in  a 
time  of  deep  and  wide-spread  excitement,  seize  the  helm 
of  affairs,  and  make  appear  as  a  national  movement  what 
is  but  the  frenzy  of  a  few. 

The  Sanhedrin  was  never  called  to  pass  upon  either 
the  character  or  the  conduct  of  Jesus.  As  a  body  it  was 
too  Democratic  ever  to  have  condemned  either  Jesus  or 
John.  The  Rabbi  Boethus,  who  sat  at  Honorius'  table 
and  who  interrogated  John,  and  various  others  of  like 
character  were  all  devout  Jews,  just  as  the  Borgias  and 
the  Medici  were  devout  Catholics.  They  simply  and  con- 
sistently believed  that  the  practice  of  Rabbinism  at  Jeru- 
salem was  a  good  thing  —  for  them.  Then  the  authority 
was  in  their  hands.  They  possessed  the  symbols.  They 
would  put  down,  by  whatever  means,  any  movement  that 
tended  to  destroy  or  set  aside  Rabbinism,  by  which  they 
lived.  John,  and  then  Jesus,  opposed  Rabbinism. 
Therefore  John  and  Jesus  must  be  put  away ;  in  short, 
must  die. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  at  least  ninety-nine  in  a 
hundred,  perhaps  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  in  a 
thousand,  of  the  Jews  of  Palestine  were  friends  of  Jesus 
and  of  John,  and  execrated  the  Atheism,  the  tyranny,  the 
exactions  of  the  lawyers,  priests,  and  Levites  at  Jerusalem ; 
but,  as  already  stated,  the  station  and  the  symbols  were 
with  the  latter,  who  accordingly  had  their  way. 

And  so  again  we  are  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  the  aristo- 
cratic quarter  on  the  hill  of  Zion.  It  is  long  after  sunset, 
and  the  street  we  are  on  is  narrow  and  dark,  hemmed  in 
by  high  walls  of  huge  stones,  capable  of  resisting  a  siege. 
But  the  glaring  light  of  flambeaux,  borne  by  slaves,  flashes 
here  and  there,  where  some  wealthy  nabob  is  being  carried 
along  in  his  luxurious  palanquin. 

At  a  broad,  open  portal,  where  two  stalwart  Nubians 


ANNAS  329 

stand,  one  at  each  side,  with  flaming  torches,  there  is  a 
glare  of  light.  Beside  the  torch-bearers,  standing  grim 
and  silent  in  the  shadow,  are  a  number  of  mighty  men  in 
armor,  and  beyond,  a  huge  mastiff,  chained  and  muzzled, 
suggests  an  additional  guard.  The  open  portal  appears 
to  offer  invitation  to  enter,  and  we  see  the  palanquins, 
one  after  another,  turn  in.  The  transition  from  the 
gloomy  street  to  the  scene  within  is  like  that  from  a 
prison  to  fairy-land.  The  place  is  at  once  a  cloistered 
court  and  a  garden  of  extreme  luxuriance  and  splendor. 
It  is  the  palace  of  Annas,  the  father-in-law  of  Caiaphas 
and  the  chief  ruler  of  the  Jews.  A  number  of  his  friends, 
the  wealthiest  and  most  influential  men  of  Jerusalem,  have 
been  summoned  to  appear  at  his  house  on  business  of 
moment. 

Following  the  visitors,  we  pass  through  a  brilliantly 
lighted  labyrinth  of  fruits  and  flowers,  fountains,  and 
vine-covered  retreats,  and  mount  by  polished  marble  stair- 
cases through  a  pillared  gallery  to  the  high  roof,  where, 
surrounded  by  indescribable  luxury,  sits  in  more  than 
regal  splendor  the  fonner  pontiff  and  the  present  real 
ruler  of  the  Jews. 

The  effect  of  this  man  on  world  history  being  so  mo- 
mentous, it  may  be  useful  to  more  particularly  mark  his 
appearance.  Although  he  reclines  on  a  divan  and  rises 
not  to  salute  his  visitors,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  he  is  a  man 
of  large  mould  and  commanding  presence.  Annas  is  of 
that  class,  always  sufficiently  abundant  in  the  world,  who, 
at  an  early  time,  but  not  the  earliest,  were  the  chiefs  and 
champions  of  tribes.  Afterwards  they  were  the  leaders 
of  armies,  robber  barons,  and  lords  of  castles  set  on  hills. 
They  figure  in  all  lordly  garbs.  They  have  worn  the 
ermine,  the  cassock,  and  the  stole,  and  the  tiara  itself. 
Later,  and  latest,  they  are  given  the  names  of  Captains 
of   Industry,   Kings   of  Finance,    Party   Leaders,   Bosses. 

Annas  is  an  old  man  now,  with  a  bald  head  and  long, 


330  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

flowing,  white  beard,  but  there  is  the  high,  square,  beet- 
ling brow,  the  jaw  of  a  mastiff,  and  a  bull's  neck  set  on 
Herculean  shoulders. 

Caiaphas  is  here,  too,  and  demanding,  perhaps,  as  a 
prominent  character  in  this  World  Tragedy,  some  par- 
ticular notice  from  us.  He  is  a  thin,  spare  man,  of  middle 
age,  with  the  smooth  and  polished  manners  of  a  courtier, 
but  betraying  a  lurking  sense  of  doubt  and  hesitancy. 
We  would  say  tliat  Caiaphas  is  incapable  of  convictions ; 
but  he  acts  most  admirably  the  part  of  host,  and  receives 
the  aristocratic  visitors  with  a  grace  and  tact  born  of  life- 
long practice.  He  is  smooth  and  suave  and  accommo- 
dating. 

Most  of  the  guests  are  unknown  to  us,  except  Gamaliel, 
and  Boethus,  and  the  priest  Eliab,  whom  we  heard  ques- 
tioning John  at  Bethabara.  There  are  six  others  whose 
names  have  been  preserved, —  Judas,  Levi,  Alexander, 
Jairus,  and  Naphtali.  The  others  are  all  priests,  lawyers, 
and  doctors, —  making  only  fourteen  in  all.  There  would 
not  be  fourteen  but  for  Annas'  superstitious  belief  in  the 
power  of  numbers.  Annas  is  deeply  learned  in  cabalistic 
lore  and  the  number  seven  and  its  multiples  are  tilings  to 
conjure  with. 

When  the  guests  are  all  present  Caiaphas  dismisses  the 
servants,  and  Annas,  arising  to  a  sitting  posture,  ad- 
dresses them.  He  uses  the  forms  of  politeness,  but  his 
manner  is  cold  and  haughty,  as  if  his  words  were  final 
and  not  to'  be  disputed.  "  Friends  and  brethren,"  he  says, 
"  it  has  pleased  our  worshipful  High  Priest,  Caiaphas,  to 
call  you  together  for  purposes  known  to  you  all.  Alarm- 
ing reports  still  come  from  Galilee  and  the  time  has  come 
to  act." 

Annas  paused  and  waited.  No  one  seemed  disposed  to 
answer,  but  all  eyes  were  turned  upon  Gamaliel.  That 
noted  Rabbi,  whose  great  wealth,  learning,  and  liberal 
ideas  gave  him  immense  influence  among  the  people,  was 


ANNAS  331 

the  only  one  among  those  present  who  had  either  the 
indination  or  the  courage  to  oppose  Annas  in  anything 
he  might  design  or  propose.  At  former  meetings,  where 
the  whole  Sanhedrin  had  been  present  and  the  question 
of  disciplining  John  had  been  up  for  discussion,  he  had 
disclosed  a  leaning  towards  the  party  of  Nicodemus  and 
Joseph  that  was  a  surprise  to  many,  and  by  Annas  and 
Caiaphas  was  taken  almost  as  an  insult ;  for  though 
Gamaliel  was  a  Pharisee  and  they  were  Sadducees,  Gama- 
liel was  the  chief  Rabbi  of  Jerusalem,  and  one  whose  sta- 
tion and  influence  were  as  much  threatened  by  the  new 
doctrines  as  their  own. 

They  had  counted  upon  his  support  as  of  course,  and 
deeming  it  more  necessary  than  that  of  any  other,  had 
hardly  dared  relinquish  it  till  every  effort  had  been  made 
to  gain  him  over  to  their  views.  Hence  his  being  called 
to  this  meeting.  In  truth,  Gamaliel  was  no  reformer.  In 
the  great  excitement  about  John,  he  had  remained  calm 
and  unaffected.  He  said  the  only  way  to  put  down  such 
"  fanatics  "  was  to  let  them  alone.  He  opposed  sending 
any  deputation  of  Rabbis  from  Jerusalem  to  hear  him, 
and  was  wise  enough  to  see  that  persecution  could  avail 
nothing.  In  any  regular  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrin,  the 
influence  of  Nicodemus,  Joseph,  and  Gamaliel  was  suf- 
ficient to  prevent  any  extreme  measures ;  but  Annas,  like 
the  modern  Boss,  was  not  to  be  balked  by  any  too  nice 
regard  for  law  or  custom.  The  Sanhedrin  was  to  be  ig- 
nored, and  its  slow,  methodical,  half-hearted  opposition 
defied. 

The  astute  Gamaliel  was  perfectly  aware  of  all  these 
conditions,  and  while  drawn  by  nature  and  conscience  to 
oppose  lawless  methods,  he  was  equally  averse  to  breaking 
with  the  High  Priest  and  that  powerful  "  ring  "  of  un- 
scrupulous politicians  and  Temple  Officials  by  whom  he 
was  supported  and  surrounded.  He  resolved  to  dissemble. 
"  Of  course,"  he  said  at  length,  "  it  is  only  a  question  of 


332  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

methods  in  this  matter.  None  but  the  ignorant  rabble 
beHeves  that  either  John  or  this  Jesus  has  any  authority 
to  speak  as  they  do,  and  to  all  present  appearance  they 
are  doing  much  harm ;  and  yet  there  are  many  of  the 
most  honorable  of  our  Rabbis  who  seem  immovably  averse 
to  extreme  measures.  They  look  upon  these  new  preach- 
ers as  harmless  fanatics,  whose  folly  will  soon  be  apparent 
to  all.  There  are  some  who  even  regard  the  preaching  of 
John  and  of  this  Jesus  as  upon  the  whole  beneficial. 
John,  as  we  know,  was  a  strict  observer  of  the  Law  as  he 
understood  it ;  and  both  he  and  Jesus,  they  claim,  call  the 
people  to  a  better  way  of  living,  which  is  a  matter  of 
importance  to  consider,  if  true.  However,  whatever  the 
Sanhedrin  may  decide  upon  when  the  matter  is  laid  before 
it,  I,  for  one,  will  cheerfully  support." 

Several  of  the  reverend  gentlemen  present  showed  some 
impatience  and  even  eagerness  to  answer  Gamaliel ;  but 
the  gravity  and  decorum  becoming  to  the  place  and  their 
station  was  duly  observed,  and  the  oldest  of  the  group, 
Rabbi  Jairus,  was  given  first  place  as  spokesman. 

"  It  should  be  known  to  you,  O  most  learned  Gamahel," 
he  said,  "  that  action  by  the  Sanhedrin  is  not  now  to  be 
depended  upon,  or  even  looked  for.  At  the  various  meet- 
ings of  that  body  called  to  decide  upon  some  action  in  the 
case  of  John  of  Hebron,  the  same  general  conditions  were 
present.  The  necessity  for  action  was  plain  and  hardly 
disputed,  and  yet  there  were  certain  members  who  obsti- 
nately refused  to  sanction  any  proceedings ;  it  was  only 
by  means  similar  to  those  now  proposed  that  the  country 
and  nation  was  delivered  of  that  dangerous  fanatic.  You, 
most  excellent  Gamaliel,  Avere  present  at  those  meetings, 
and  you  cannot  be  unaware  of  the  futility  of  calling  the 
Sanhedrin  to  act  upon  this  matter." 

Gamaliel,  still  unwilling  to  break  with  his  compeers, 
now  took  another  tack.  "  It  may  be  as  you  say,  O  friend 
Jairus,  that  action  in  this  matter  by  the  Sanhedrin  is  not 


ANNAS  33S 

to  be  expected;  but  this  is  a  matter  of  exceeding  gravity, 
as  all  will  admit,  and  it  seems  to  me  but  meet  that  at  least 
more  of  our  wisest  and  best  should  be  consulted  before  final 
action  is  taken.  Surely  we  should  hardly  proceed  with- 
out consulting  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of  Arimathea. 
These,  as  I  understand,  are  now  absent  in  Galilee  for  the 
very  purpose  of  hearing  and  seeing  this  Jesus  for  them- 
selves. This  doubtless  accounts  for  their  absence  here 
to-night.  On  their  return  we  may  hear  their  report  and 
be  instructed  by  their  wisdom." 

By  a  sign  from  Annas  further  discussion  was  forbidden. 
Acquiescence  in  Gamaliel's  proposal  was  apparently 
yielded,  and  after  an  hour  spent  in  general  conversation, 
in  which  Annas  and  Caiaphas  cheerfully  joined,  the  party 
broke  up,  and  the  two  arch  conspirators  were  left  alone. 

As  soon  as  the  company  had  dispersed,  and  Gamaliel, 
like  the  rest,  had  been  dismissed  with  salaams  and  benedic- 
tions, the  countenance  of  Annas  changed  at  once  from  the 
cheerful  friendliness  of  a  host  to  the  scowling  blackness  of 
enmity  and  rage.  He  began  pacing  to  and  fro  like  a 
caged  lion,  gesticulating  fiercely  and  making  free  use  of 
his  tongue  in  language  both  angry  and  threatening. 

"  What,"  he  cried,  shaking  his  fist  fiercely  in  the  face 
of  that  supreme  and  august  functionary,  the  High  Priest. 
"  What  does  the  hypocritical  dog  of  a  Pharisee  think  to 
do  bj^  this  course !  Does  the  praying,  phylactered,  fable- 
monging  demagogue  think  to  balk  me?  Has  he  really 
gone  over  to  Croesus  —  Nicodemus  and  that  sheep-faced 
Joseph.''  By  Jah  and  by  Jupiter!  By  Baal  and  Ash- 
toreth !  By  Osiris  and  Isis !  and  all  the  gods  at  once ! 
These  whining  philanthropists,  these  contemptible  Bud- 
dhist-Essenes,  who  pretend  to  have  such  a  tender  regard  for 
slaves  and  Amhaartz,  shall  see  before  long  who  is  master 
here ! " 

Caiaphas,  with  Annas'  fist  under  his  nose,  begged  his 
irate    father-in-law    to    have   patience    and    calm    himself. 


334  ^TESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  No  danger,"  he  said,  "  of  Gamaliel  going  over  to  the 
party  of  Nicodemus.  He  doesn't  love  those  people  any 
better  than  he  does  us.  But  he  is  a  trimmer,  that's  all ! 
He's  a  trimmer." 

"  Trimmer,  indeed !  I'll  trim  him,  if  he  shows  up  in 
this  way  much  more.  Now,  you  look  here,"  and  Annas, 
who  had  resumed  his  pacing  to  and  fro,  again  squared 
himself  before  the  meek  and  obedient  Caiaphas.  "  Do 
this  that  I  tell  you.  We'll  have  done  with  all  Sanhedrins 
and  all  consultations  of  any  kind.  We  are  placed  here  as 
the  guardians  and  custodians  of  our  most  sacred  and 
ancient  religion.  We  owe  it  to  our  Nation  that  it  be  pre- 
served and  handed  down  to  our  posterity  in  all  its  purity, 
by  whatever  means.  We  will  preserve  it.  Now,  listen ! 
Have  Boethus  and  Eliab  and  lawyer  Alexander  summoned 
here  to-morrow  morning.  I  will  answer  for  the  rest. 
Good  night." 

Annas  threw  himself  upon  his  divan,  and  as  soon  as  he 
heard  the  great  iron  gate  close  behind  Caiaphas,  he  rang 
a  small  silver  bell,  which  was  immediately  answered  by  a 
tall  Egyptian  eunuch,  to  whom  he  communicated  his 
wishes  and  who  soon  after  brought  in  on  a  great  silver 
salver  a  flagon  of  Falernian  wine,  with  some  rich  conserve 
of  figs.  Annas  then  spoke  again  to  the  Egyptian,  who 
withdrew,  and  immediately  after  a  young  woman  came  in, 
bearing  a  timbrel.  She  was  elegantly  attired  in  the  Greek 
costume,  and  in  form  and  feature  was  evidently  of  that 
nation.  In  obedience  to  command,  she  sat  down  on  a  low 
couch  near  by,  and  began  playing,  and  singing  a  song 
from  Sappho. 

Annas  sipped  his  wine  and  listened  a  short  time;  then, 
with  an  impatient  gesture  and  sharp  words,  he  ordered  the 
girl  to  stop.  "  I  told  you  to  give  me  something  lively 
and  cheerful,  but  this  is  more  like  a  lamentation  than  a 
song.     What  ails  you !  " 

"  Music  is  the  heart  speaking,"  she  answered.     "  Sap- 


ANNAS  335 

pho  herself  could  not  make  men  merry  when  her  heart  was 
rent." 

Annas  cast  a  stern,  inquiring  glance  at  the  beautiful, 
sad  face  of  the  girl,  but  asked  no  questions.  "  Go,  then," 
he  said,  "  and  bring  me  the  copy  of  Aristophanes  from  the 
library.  I  think  that  will  be  more  to  my  liking  than  your 
singing." 

The  next  morning,  in  the  same  place,  Annas  received 
the  three  personages  whom  he  had  asked  to  have  sent  to 
him  the  night  before, —  Boethus,  Eliab,  and  Alexander. 
Caiaphas  was  also  present.  Annas  opened  the  interview 
by  a  discourse  of  some  length  on  the  dangers  by  which 
true  religion  was  threatened,  and  the  importance  of  pre- 
senting the  true  religion  of  their  fathers  from  all  taint 
of  schism  or  heresy. 

During  this  discourse,  which,  it  may  be  remarked,  was 
adorned  with  some  fine  old  and  oft  repeated  rhetorical 
flourishes,  Annas  preserved  a  very  stem  and  melancholy 
cast  of  countenance,  and  looked  none  of  his  visitors  in  the 
eye.  They  also  seemed  to  have  wandering  eyes  and  looked 
anywhere  but  at  Annas.  After  tliis  exordium,  however, 
Annas  changed  his  language  and  likewise  his  manner. 
He  looked  upon  his  listeners  with  an  eye  that  fixed  and 
awed  like  a  lion's.  He  also  arose  from  reclining  on  his 
divan,  and  walked  to  and  fro. 

"  You  all  must  see,  and  I  think  you  do,"  he  was  saying, 
"*that  the  very  fabric  of  our  institutions  is  threatened ; 
the  means  by  which  we  live  are  to  be  taken  away ;  and  it 
behooves  us,  as  keepers  and  custodians  of  the  Law,  to  use 
any  and  every  means  in  our  power  to  resist  and  put  down 
this  movement.  From  Pilate  and  his  Romans  we  can 
expect  nothing.  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  have  gained 
Pilate's  ear,  and  he  will  listen  to  nothing  we  can  say. 
Herod,  too,  has  grown  indifferent.  He  cares  no  more 
than  Pilate  about  what  concerns  us.     If  only  he  retains 


JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  favor  of  Caesar  and  is  sure  of  remaining  Tetrarch,  he 
cares  not  what  becomes  of  us.  He  was  prevailed  on  by 
his  fears  of  a  Zealot  uprising  to  imprison  John,  but  we 
have  sure  intelligence  that  he  is  coming  over  to  a  different 
view,  and  intends  to  liberate  John. 

"  Now  you  three  are  all  friends  of  Herod ;  you  are  ac- 
quainted with  Herodias  and  with  Salome.  I  have  heard 
you  tell  how  John  publicly  and  in  your  hearing  denounced 
the  incestuous  marriage  of  Herod  with  Herodias,  and  here 
are  grounds  upon  which  you  may  work.  Incite  Herodias 
against  John,  and  the  thing  is  done:  we  will  be  rid  of  him. 
You  are  all  sufficiently  experienced  in  this  kind  of  work 
so  as  to  require  no  detailed  instructions  from  me.  All  I 
have  to  say  is,  Go  to  Herod  and  do  your  duty !  " 

Annas  paused,  and  walked  to  and  fro  for  some  time,  as 
if  in  deep  study.  "  The  case  of  this  Jesus,"  he  began 
again  at  length,  "  is  far  more  difficult.  Our  intelligence 
about  him  would  indicate  a  man  far  more  dangerous  than 
John.  He  is  not  so  bold,  and  is  more  crafty ;  and  if  he 
uses  craft,  so  also  must  we.  My  instructions  are,  after 
you  have  done  for  John  as  indicated,  Go  into  Galilee,  and 
mingle  with  the  crowd  that  attend  upon  Jesus ;  pretend  to 
be  interested  in  his  preaching;  attach  yourselves  to  him, 
and  as  if  you  were  disciples  seeking  instruction  ask  him 
questions,  without  too  much  contradicting  him.  See  that 
he  is  invited  to  the  best  houses,  and  entertained  as  if  he 
were  the  greatest  man  in  the  nation.  Flatter  him.  They 
say  he  does  not  refuse  wine  and  generous  fare,  and  likes 
music,  and  admires  beauty  in  women.  Ply  him  with  these 
things. 

"  Let  the  rich  men  in  the  cities  understand  how  the 
matter  stands,  and  they  will  act  with  you  heartily.  And 
don't  neglect  the  employment  of  wine  and  women  espe- 
cially. Get  the  best,  and  spare  no  expense.  Remember 
it  is  easier  to  corrupt  this  insane  preacher  than  it  is  to 


ANNAS  337 

fight  him  openly;  and  in  the  meantime  don't  forget  to 
draw  him  out,  and  get  him  to  say  something  before  wit- 
nesses that  we  can  make  out  to  be  criminal.  Above  all 
draw  him  towards  Jerusalem.  Once  get  him  within  these 
walls,  and  trust  us  to  put  an  end  to  his  heresy." 


XXXVII 
FISHERTON 

"  Bethsaida  [translated  Fisherton]  was  the  fishing  quarter  of,  or, 
rather,  close  to  Capernaum,  even  as  we  so  often  find,  in  our  own 
country,  a  '  Fisherton '  ad j  acent  to  larger  towns." —  Edersheim. 

After  several  weeks  we  are  again  at  Bethsaida  (Fish- 
erton), and  at  the  house  of  Zebedee.  It  is  evening  time, 
and  Zebedee,  with  his  partner  Jonas,  is  sitting  on  a  rude 
bench  some  distance  away  from  the  house.  They  have 
been  at  work  all  the  afternoon  mending  their  net,  but  it 
has  now  grown  too  dark  for  them  to  continue  with  that 
task,  and  the  net  has  dropped  from  their  tired  hands  to 
their  feet,  where  it  lies  in  brown  masses  of  woven  string 
and  cordage. 

"  The  rotten  old  thing  Is,  as  you  say,  hardly  worth  the 
labor  of  mending  any  more,"  said  Jonas,  spuming  it  with 
his  foot,  "  but  I  know  not  where  the  money  is  to  come  from 
to  buy  new.  We  will  have  to  make  it  go  for  a  while 
longer,  I  suppose." 

Something  like  a  sigh  escaped  from  Zebedee,  and  he 
reached  down  and  took  up  some  of  the  net  in  his  hand. 
"  Knitting  this  was  the  last  work  Father  did,"  he  saidj 
passing  his  hand  over  the  rough  knots,  almost  caressingly. 
"  It  has  done  us  good  service,  brother  Jonas,  and  I  wish 
it  was  so  we  could  buy  new  and  lay  this  away  for  the 
good  it  has  done." 

While  Zebedee  was  speaking,  a  pleasant  female  voice 
from  the  house,  close  by,  called  out,  "  Uncle  Zebedee,  shall 
I  bring  supper  for  you  and  Uncle  Jonas  to  eat  where  you 
are,  or  will  you  come  in?  " 

"  Oh,  bring  us  here  what  you  have,  my  dear,"  answered 
Zebedee,  "  and  come  you ;  and  tell  your  mother  and  Salome 

338 


FISHERTON  339 

to  come,  too.  Jonas  is  not  licre  to  eat  with  us  often,  and 
let  us  all  eat  together  to-niglit." 

J'onas  arose  and  made  some  objections  to  staying,  but 
was  persuaded  to  sit  down  again. 

There  was  a  confused  sound  of  women's  voices  from  the 
direction  of  the  house,  and  then  the  same  voice  as  before 
called  out,  "  Mother  says  she  can't  come  now,  Uncle  Zeb- 
edee." 

"  Why  not.?  "  asked  Zebedee. 

"  Why,  she  says  she  can't  leave  her  work." 

"Work!     What  work.?"  again  asked  Zebedee. 

Then  after  a  pause,  during  which  they  could  hear  the 
women  talking  in  low  tones,  "  She  says  the  fish  are  not 
all  cleaned  yet." 

"  Whoever  saw  such  a  woman,"  said  Zebedee  aside  to 
Jonas ;  then  calling  back  again,  he  cried,  "  Tell  your 
mother  to  let  the  fish  go.  We  want  her  to  come  and  eat 
with  us." 

Then  again,  after  a  sound  of  more  talking  at  the  house, 
the  same  voice  calling,  "  She  says  they  will  spoil." 

"  Well,  let  them  spoil !  Tell  her  to  come  anyway," 
shouted  Zebedee.  Then  turning  to  Jonas  he  went  on: 
"  Did  you  ever  see  such  a  woman  as  that  sister  of  mine.? 
Because  I  have  given  her  and  Doris  the  shelter  of  my  poor 
roof  when  Shunem  sold  them  out  she  seems  to  think  that 
she  owes  me  more  than  she  can  ever  pay.  That  Shunem 
has  done  many  bad  things:  but  selling  them  out  of  their 
old  home  was  about  the  worst  he  ever  did." 

"  Yes,  and  Joseph  was  a  mighty  fine  man, —  indus- 
trious, too,  a  good  carpenter,  and  worked  early  and  late," 
answered  Jonas.  "  Strange  that  they  should  have  had 
such  vagabond  boys, —  to  let  their  old  home  be  sold  out  for 
taxes." 

"  Nay,  but  thou  shouldst  not  call  them  by  that  hard 
name,  brother  Jonas ;  for  a  vagabond,  as  I  take  it,  is  a 
bad,  worthless  fellow,  and  these  sons  of  Mary  are  not  that, 


340  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

brother  Jonas.  No,  not  so  bad  as  that ;  and  it  was  but  a 
little  while  ago  that  thou  wast  calling  one  of  their  sons 
the  greatest  man  in  the  world." 

"  Oh,  they  are  all  smart  enough ;  they  are  no  fools," 
answered  Jonas  "  But  nothing  '11  excuse  a  widow's  sons 
for  letting  their  mother  be  turned  out  of  her  home.  I 
wouldn't  'a'  thought  it  o'  Jesus,  anyway.  I'd  'a'  thought 
that  he  would  'a'  done  something  to  save  the  old  home. 
Jude, —  of  course  there  was  not  much  to  be  expected  of 
him,  nor  of  James,  with  the  family  he  has  of  his  own, — 
and  him  a  thinking  all  the  while  that  his  mother  and  sister, 
and  all,  should  be  like  him,  Essenes.  Of  course  he  couldn't 
do  much  to  help  his  mother;  but  Jesus  could,  if  he  had 
tried.     We've  all  been  disappointed  in  Jesus." 

"  Yes,  it's  all  a  sad  business,  and  a  dreadful  mix-up 
generally,"  answered  Zebedee,  with  a  sigh  that  was  almost 
a  gi'oan,  "  and  I  don't  see  what's  to  come  of  it  all.  Yes, 
it  cannot  be  denied  Jesus  has  disappointed  us  all.  If 
things  were  to  go  on  here  as  they  have  for  the  past  three 
months,  we  would  have  to  give  up  everything  and  go  hire 
ourselves  to  Simon,  the  Pharisee,  to  dig  in  his  vineyards." 
Jonas  made  no  answer,  and  after  a  pause  Zebedee  went 
on. 

"  Yes,  I  have  seen  it  some  time  and  that's  one  thing 
that  makes  Mary  work  as  she  does,  and  deny  herself  every- 
thing but  bread  and  water.  Our  boys,  following  after 
her  son  Jesus,  have  done  no  work  now  for  a  long  time ; 
and  yet  they  come  around  with  a  lot  of  idle  ragamuffins 
and  expect  to  be  fed." 

"  Yes,  it's  the  same  at  my  house,"  answered  Jonas,  dole- 
fully. "  And  now  Simon's  wife  and  children  and  his  poor, 
old  mother-in-law  are  on  my  hands.  Of  course  we  make 
them  welcome,  as  you  do  your  sister  Mary  and  Doris. 
But  you  know  how  it  is:  it's  no  way  to  live;  and  with  the 
fish  all  gone  into  deep  water,  and  no  help  but  wandering 


FISHERTON  341 

Canaanites  and  Samaritans,  who  steal  more  than  they  earn, 
its  pretty  hard  getting  on.  We'll  have  to  make  the  old 
nets  do  as  long  as  they'll  hold  together ;  and  then  if  our 
sons  keep  up  this  idle  running  about,  and  come  no  more 
home  to  work,  why,  you  and  I  will  have  to  do  as  I  say, 
and  go  to  work  in  Simon's  vineyards  at  a  penny  a  day, 
for  that's  what  they  say  he  and  Hippo  are  paying  now. 
There's  so  little  a-doing  and  so  many  idle  fellows  about 
that  a  penny  a  day  is  all  one  can  get." 

"  Oh,  I  know  it !  I  know  it  all ! "  groaned  Zebedee, 
"  and  more  and  worse  than  that !  I  haven't  told  you  the 
worst."  As  if  reluctant  to  go  on,  Zebedee  sat  for  some 
time  in  silence  and  Jonas  did  not  press  him.  At  length 
Zebedee  straightened  up,  as  if  to  face  whatever  came,  and 
went  on :  "I  could  stand  to  have  the  boys  go  as  they 
have.  They  are  young,  and  would  have  to  go  for  them- 
selves before  long,  an^'way.  But  Salome,"  and  the  old 
man  choked  down  a  sob,  "  you  didn't  know,  but  it's  true, 
—  Salome  is  one  of  them,  and  wanted  to  go  off  with  them 
now,  she  and  Joanna,  Chuza's  wife,  and  Susanna.  They 
are  all  crazy  to  follow  Jesus  and  be  with  him,  like  our 
boys,  and  they  would  all  have  gone  now  this  time,  if 
Jesus  would  have  let  them ;  but  he  had  sense  enough 
to  forbid  them  altogether.  But  he  only  put  them  off: 
he  said,  *  Some  other  time  you  can  go,  but  not  now.' 
I  heard  the  whole  thing,  for  they  were  all  here  at  my 
house, —  and  all  but  INIary  and  Doris  were  eager  to  follow 
Jesus  anywhere,  and  they  went  out  into  the  garden  alone 
by  themselves  and  cried." 

"  You  say  that  Joanna  and  Susanna  want  to  go  with 
Jesus?"  asked  Jonas.  "They  think  they  were  cured 
of  something  by  him,  don't  they  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Zebedee,  doubtfully.  "  Their  hus- 
bands, you  know,  are  rich,  and  the}',  having  no  children 
but  one  and  nothing  to  do,  thought  they  were  sick ;  and 


342  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

they  think  Jesus  healed  them.  They  are  all  right  now, 
and  full  of  life  as  can  be.  Jesus  cured  your  Simon's 
wife  of  fever,  too,  didn't  he.^*  " 

"  It  certainly  did  seem  so,"  Jonas  replied ;  "  the  woman 
was  very  sick,  and  we  all  thought  she  would  die ;  and  Jesus, 
b}'  just  his  wordj  raised  her  up,  and  for  two  or  three  days 
she  seemed  quite  well.  But  since  Jesus  has  gone,  she  has 
got  worse  and,  I  think,  will  die." 

"  Oh,  Jesus  is  truly  a  wonderful  man,  and  it's  such  a 
pity  he  couldn't  turn  his  talents  to  some  good  account," 
rejoined  Zebedee. 

"  Even  as  a  carpenter  he  might  have  become  famous, 
for  I  heard  Rabbi  Sadduc  say  — ."  Jonas  had  got  so 
far  in  telling  what  Jesus'  old  master  in  carpentry  had 
said,  when  he  was  interrupted  by  the  appearance  of  the 
young  woman  whose  voice  had  sounded  from  the  house, 
and  who  now  proceeded  with  some  bustle  to  prepare  for  the 
evening  meal. 

"  It  is  too  bad  to  keep  you  and  Uncle  Jonas  waiting 
so  long,"  she  said,  with  animation,  "  but  Mother  would 
have  her  way,  and  the  fish  are  all  cleaned  and  put  away 
at  last.  But,  Uncle  Zebedee,  Aunt  Salome  says  there  is 
no  wine,  and  asks  if  she  shall  send  to  the  wine-shop 
for  some  for  supper." 

"  Certainly,  of  course.  We  can  not  well  do  without 
wine,  especially  now  that  Jonas  is  here.  You  are  young 
and  spry,  Doris !  You  could  run  now  quick  and  bring 
us  a  bottle!     That  is  a  good  girl." 

Doris  had  brought  a  lamp  when  she  came,  and  the  light 
as  she  held  it  in  her  hands  shone  full  in  her  face,  which 
now  showed  some  embarrassment.  She  hesitated  as  if  not 
knowing  what  to  reply,  but  finally  said,  with  downcast 
eyes,  "  But  Aunt  Salome  says  there  is  no  money.  What 
shall  we  do  about  that?  " 

The  easy  good-nature  of  Zebedee  seemed  a  little  damped 
by  this  disclosure,  but  he  rallied  quickly  and  said,     "  Oh, 


FISHERTON  843 

have  it  charged;  of  course  old  Yinnon  knows  me,  and  my 
father  before  me.  And  be  sure  and  get  the  best,  Doris. 
Now  that  Jonas  is  here  we  can  afford  a  bottle  of  Engedi, 
Doris.     And  so  run  now  quick." 

Doris  sat  down  her  lamp  on  a  small  table  near  by,  and 
went  hurriedly  away.  Immediately  after,  the  other 
woman  spoken  of  as  Salome  came  with  various  prepara- 
tions of  food,  which  she  placed  on  the  table,  going  and 
coming  as  the  case  required,  but  without  speaking.  Al- 
though a  matron  with  grown  children,  Salome,  like  Doris, 
whom  Zebedee  still  calls  a  girl,  appears  young  and  very 
fair  to  look  upon.  But  unlike  Doris,  who  is  simple 
and  quite  forgetful  of  self,  Salome  impresses  us  as 
being  very  self-conscious,  and  wears  an  expression  some- 
what more  proud  and  haughty  than  would  seem  to  com- 
port with  her  station. 

The  meal  was  very  simple  and  plain, —  fish  from  the 
lake,  black  barley  bread  without  butter,  raw  onions  and 
lettuce  from  the  garden,  ripe  figs  from  the  tree  over  their 
heads :  this,  with  the  rich,  heavy  blood-red  wine  brought 
bv  Doris,  made  up  the  repast.  It  was  a  beautiful  night ; 
and  as  they  sat  eating  and  drinking  leisurely,  the  big 
moon  rose  cloudless  above  the  far-away  mountains,  light- 
ing up  the  lake  and  the  shore  with  a  wondrous  soft  glow. 
Then  out  of  the  shadow  to  the  southward  came  suddenly 
into  the  clear  moonlight  one  of  Hippo's  large  fishing 
boats,  propelled  swiftly  and  smoothly  along  by  a  great 
number  of  oars.  The  sight  seemed  to  arouse  Zebedee  to 
wrath,  and  he  began  to  exclaim  angrily  against  Hippo 
and  his  new  devices  for  catching  fish.  While  he  was 
speaking,  there  came  a  step  on  the  gravel,  and  Jude  was 
among  them.  Mary  and  Doris  arose  and  kissed  him  de- 
murely, while  Zebedee  and  Jonas  greeted  him  heartily. 

"  Sit  down,  sit  down ! "  cried  Zebedee.  "  Thou'rt 
doubtless  hungry,  and  here's  bread  and  meat,  and  what's 
more,  some  good  red  wine  of  Engedi.     Thou  seest  little 


S44  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

wine  where  thou  hast  been,  either  red  or  white,  I  doubt." 

Jude  sat  down  in  silence,  and  began  eating  voraciously. 

"  Hast  thou  been  long  fasting.?  "  his  mother  asked  at 
length. 

"  Well,  I  left  the  caves  two  days  ago,"  he  answered 
evasively ;  "  but  I  liave  not  suffered :  the  wild  figs  are 
plenty." 

"  Pour  thy  brother  another  cup  of  wine,  Doris,"  said 
Zebedee,  "  and  when  he  has  drunk  it,  perhaps  he  will  tell 
us  how  it  fares  with  Jacobus  and  the  rest." 

"  And  with  Jesus,"  broke  in  Doris,  unable  longer  to 
restrain  herself.     "Did  you  see  Jesus.?  " 

Jude  drank  off  his  wine  slowly,  and  did  not  answer. 

"  Did  you  see  Jesus  ?  "  repeated  Doris,  while  Mary  and 
Salome,  though  discreetly  silent,  hung  upon  his  words. 

"  Yes,  I  saw  Jesus,"  Jude  answered  at  last,  sternly ;  then 
turning  to  Zebedee  and  Jonas,  he  went  on,  but  still  gloom- 
ily :  "  It's  about  as  you  said  all  the  time.  Uncle  Zebedee ; 
there's  nothing  to  be  done  at  present,  and  I  wash  my 
hands  of  the  whole  business.  I'm  ready  to  come  home  and 
go  to  work.  Now  that  John  is  dead,  even  Jacobus  is 
more  discouraged  than  I  ever  saw  him  before.  He  still 
has  some  faint  hopes  of  Jesus,  but  I  know  that  there  is 
nothing  there.  Jesus,  in  my  opinion,  is  possessed, —  he 
has  a  devil,  and  we,  as  a  family,  ought  to  do  any  way  we 
can  to  get  him  home  and  take  care  of  him,  and  even  use 
force  if  necessary.  Jesus  is  not  only  wrong  but  foolish. 
There  is  no  sense  in  what  he  says,  and  no  plan  in  what 
he  does.  Just  to  think  what  insane  folly !  Preaching  a 
New  Kingdom,  he  yet  says,  '  Oh  no,  Herod's  rule  must 
not  be  interfered  with:  obey  the  laws,  and  even  suffer 
death  rather  than  resist ! '  And  of  the  priests  and  rulers 
at  Jerusalem  I  have  heard  him  say  time  and  again,  '  Do 
as  they  bid  you:  they  sit  in  Moses'  seat,  and  whatever 
they  bid  you  do,  do.'  Now  what  can  any  sensible  person 
make  out  of  such  doctrine  as  that !     What  would  Moses 


FISHERTON  345 

say  of  it,  or  the  prophet  Samuel,  or  King  David !  Why, 
it  is  sheer  lunacy, —  the  talk  of  one  possessed !  And  as 
naturally  follows,  none  of  the  people  who  run  after  him 
have  any  understanding  of  what  he  is  at, —  for  the  very 
good  reason  that  he  doesn't  know  himself.  Our  foolish 
brethren,  James  and  John  and  Simon  and  the  rest,  who 
are  with  him  now,  know  no  more.  All  they  can  say  is 
that  the  kingdom  is  shortly  to  be  restored  to  Israel:  they 
have  no  idea  how." 

Jude  paused  and  took  another  sip  of  wine,  and  Zebedee, 
addressing  his  wife,  cried  out,  "  There,  Salome !  What 
have  I  told  you  all  along!  Don't  you  see  it's  just  as 
Jude  says.?  His  own  mother  and  all  his  brothers  and 
sisters  see  it  and  why  can't  you?  Give  up  your  idle 
notions  and  let's  try  and  get  Jesus  home  to  us,  and  take 
care  of  him." 

Salome  made  no  reply,  and  Jude  went  on  again,  de- 
nouncing Jesus  and  giving  many  instances  and  details. 
Soon  Mary  and  Doris  were  weeping  silently,  and  Salome, 
with  shining  eyes  and  fixed,  rigid  face,  listened  intently. 
When  at  length  Jude  came  to  a  pause,  Salome  broke  in. 

"  I  believe  that  Jesus  is  a  prophet  of  God  and  that 
what  he  says  will  come  true,"  she  said. 

"  And  you  still  purpose  to  break  up  our  household  and 
go  traipsing  about  the  country  with  that  herd  of  crazy 
ragamuffins,  do  you?  "  cried  Zebedee,  with  rising  wrath. 

"  I  shall  go  with  my  sons,  and  obey  my  Lord  and 
Master,  whatever  he  says,"  answered  Salome. 

It  was  a  bold  and  rebellious  act  for  a  Jewish  wife,  and 
it  cost  the  poor  woman  a  struggle;  her  lips  quivered,  and 
her  face  was  drawn  and  white. 

"  And  when  Jesus'  own  mo+her  and  all  his  brothers  and 
sisters  hold  him  to  be  possessed !  "  cried  Zebedee.  "  Is  not 
that  so,  Mary  ?  " 

Mary,  so  addressed,  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears,  cry- 
ing out  bitterly,     "  Oh,  I  fear  it  is  so !     I  fear  it  is  so ! 


346  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

O  my  son,  my  son !  "     And  Mary  and  Doris  bowed  their 
heads  on  their  hands  and  wept. 

Poor  Zcbedee,  impulsive,  passionate,  and  by  nature 
kindly  and  light-hearted,  was  sorely  troubled  by  the 
gloomy  faces,  the  tears  and  sobs  of  those  about  him.  His 
little  supper  with  friends,  with  wine  and  jollity,  was  turn- 
ing into  bitterness  and  mourning.     What  should  he  do? 

"  O  you,  Mary  and  Doris,"  he  said  cheerily,  "  dry  your 
tears.  Things  may  not  be  half  so  bad  as  we  think.  We 
must  remember  what  our  Jesus,  with  all  his  whimsies,  really 
is:  not  only  a  learned  Rabbi,  able  to  argue  with  the  wisest 
of  them  all,  but  really  the  most  lovable  man  in  every  way 
that  any  of  us  ever  knew ;  and  then  as  to  his  miracles, — 
to  be  sure,  none  of  us  have  seen  any  of  them,  but  they  all 
do  say  that  he  has  the  secret  and  the  power  which  only 
prophets  and  great  Rabbis  possess. 

"  So  let  us  keep  our  souls  in  patience  and  see  what 
comes.  Perhaps  this  flight  into  Perea  will  teach  them  all 
something.  Our  boys,  I  reckon,  ours  as  well  as  yours, 
will  long  more  than  once  for  a  bit  of  their  mother's  broiled 
fish  and  some  figs  from  the  old  tree.  It  may  be  they'll 
all  come  home  wiser  and  better.  Now  isn't  that  so,  Mary? 
Come  then,  cheer  up,  and  drink  your  cup  of  wine.  You 
haven't  touched  it  yet,  and  no  wonder  you  are  downcast." 


XXXVIII 
THE  IDEAL 

"  The  black  spot  in  our  Sunshine  is  the  Shadow  of  ourselves." — 
Sartor  Resartus. 

"  These  are  examples  of  Reiison's  momentary  grasp  pf  the 
sceptre:  the  exertions  of  a  power  which  exists,  not  in  time  or  space, 
but  an  instantaneous,  instreaming,  causing  power.*' —  Emerson, 

Some  time  has  passed  since  we  last  saw  Jesus,  and  now, 
with  a  considerable  company  of  disciples  and  followers, 
he  has  begun  that  itinerary  of  preaching  in  cities  and 
villages  which  is  to  end  at  last  in  Jerusalem  and  at  Cal- 
vary. The  coldness  and  even  the  active  opposition  with 
which  he  had  been  received  in  Capernaum  and  other  cities 
induced  Jesus  to  turn  to  country  villages  and  rural  popu- 
lations. Here  he  was  welcomed  with  gladness,  and  here 
he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  ministry. 

One  night  the  company  camped  in  one  of  those  beauti- 
ful ravines  that  make  down  from  the  mountains  of  Gilboa, 
near  to  Bethshan.  Though  an  out-of-the-way  place, 
Bethshan  was  a  considerable  city  in  Jesus'  time,  and 
anciently  was  much  greater.  When  the  Philistines  hung 
the  bodies  of  Saul  and  his  sons  to  its  massive  walls,  it  was  a 
great  city,  and  a  mighty  stronghold.  It  was  in  a  country 
swarming  with  population,  mostly  fanners  and  farm  labor- 
ers ;  for  the  fruitful  valley  of  Jezreel  stretched  away  from 
it  westward  to  Carmel,  and  the  garden-plain  of  Esdraelon 
was  at  its  feet. 

Not  far  away,  on  a  high  hill  near  to  Endor,  was  an 
ancient  shrine  or  Mazar,  still  much  resorted  to  by  the 
people.  An  ancient  Hittite  grove  and  altar  were  there 
when  Saul  went  to  consult  the  witch  of  Endor.  The  peo- 
ple, though  mostly  Jews,  were  much  given  to  superstitions 
and  even  to  idolatrous  practices,  as  their  fathers  liad  been 

347 


348  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

from  the  beginning.  The  Jehovah  whom  they  worshiped 
at  Jerusalem  was  verily  superior  to  all  other  gods,  but  he 
was  not  sole  and  only.  The  ancient  and  original  gods  of 
the  country  had  not  been  entirely  expelled,  any  more  than 
the  original  inhabitants.  The  great  King  at  Jerusalem 
might  rule  over  all  the  land,  but  still  there  might  be  con- 
stant cause  for  fear  of  raids  and  incursions  from  the  wild 
Arabs  of  the  desert.  In  a  proper  case  it  was  wise  to  pro- 
pitiate the  heathen  invader  with  gifts  and  tribute-money. 

The  present  occasion  was  typical  of  many  other  similar 
ones  in  Jesus'  ministry.  All  the  twelve  apostles  were  pres- 
ent at  this  time,  and  several  women  of  Jesus'  acquaintance, 
among  whom  were  Susanna  and  Joanna,  and  his  aunt 
Salome,  and  Mary  Magdalene.  All  lived  in  tents  or  slept 
in  the  open  air,  after  the  same  manner  that  the  people  were 
accustomed  to  in  going  up  to  the  feasts  at  Jerusalem.  The 
women  prepared  the  food,  and  washed  the  dishes  and  the 
clothes,  and  looked  after  the  mending,  as  in  our  own  day. 

Mary  IMagdalene,  as  we  have  said,  was  present,  but  was 
not  admitted  to  fellowship  by  the  other  women.  Because 
Jesus  honored  her  and  forbade  any  harshness  towards  her, 
she  was  distantly  tolerated,  but  by  those  thousand  little  arts 
in  which  women  excel,  Mary  was  given  to  know  that  an  im- 
passable gulf  was  fixed  between  her  and  them.  Mary  ac- 
cepted the  humiliating  position  assigned  her  without  com- 
plaint and  without  bitterness.  She  performed  the  meanest 
drudgery  with  unassuming  cheerfulness,  and  in  all  ways 
conducted  herself  so  wisely  and  modestly  as  to  win  her  way 
to  full  acceptance  by  every  male  disciple;  but  to  the  last 
she  was  held  at  a  distance  by  her  more  severe  and  jealous 
sisters.  On  this  occasion,  Jesus  had  designed  to  go  into 
the  city  of  Bethshan  and  preach  in  its  synagogue,  as  he 
frequently  did  when  practicable.  But  while  he  and  his 
disciples  were  eating  their  breakfast,  word  was  brought  that 
a  great  multitude  of  people  was  already  gathering  and 
would  be  far  too  great  for  any  synagogue  to  hold.     And 


THE  IDEAL  349 

so  Jesus  remained,  and  received  the  people  in  the  open  air. 
Except  in  the  synagogues  Jesus  avoided  giving  a  formal 
sermon.  Preaching  to  large  audiences  was  an  innovation 
introduced  by  Jolm,  of  which  Jesus  never  fully  approved 
and  finally  abandoned,  as  he  did  John's  baptism  and  much 
else  which  he  had  at  first  adopted.  His  favorite  mode  of 
teaching  was  that  of  the  Jerusalem  Rabbis,  who  sat  and 
answered  the  questions  of  disciples,  and  amplified  and  ex- 
plained. 

After  Jesus  had  eaten  his  late  breakfast  and  given 
thanks,  he  called  the  people  to  draw  near  and  join  with  him 
in  singing  the  one  hundred  and  thirty-sixth  Psalm,  which 
was  a  part  of  the  regular  Jewish  Hallel  or  Ritual.  But 
except  the  women,  and  John  and  Matthew  of  his  own  im- 
mediate followers,  and  a  few  old  men  and  women  in  the 
crowd,  no  one  could  sing  with  him ;  they  had  not  learned. 

When  Jesus'  eye  swept  over  that  huge  mass  of  fellow 
Jews,  sons  of  Abraham,  so  densely  ignorant  and  brutish  in 
appearance,  he  realized  as  never  before  how  great  was  the 
work  he  had  undertaken.  They  were  nearly  all  laborers 
and  farm-drudges, —  rude,  excitable,  and  superstitious, — 
in  every  sense  an  unclean  multitude.  Many  of  them  were 
half  washed,  or  clothed  like  John  either  with  a  skin  or  a 
coarse  single  garment  of  camel's-hair.  They  were  mostly 
bareheaded,  unwashed,  with  tangled,  shaggy  beards,  and 
long  snaky  hair.  They  were  serfs  of  the  soil.  They 
owned  no  land,  not  even  the  wretched  hovels  in  which  they 
lived.  All  belonged  to  the  rich  landlords,  who  lived  in 
palaces  and  fared  sumptuously  every  day.  The  old  Mosaic 
Law,  by  which  land  was  restored  to  the  original  owners  in 
the  Jubilee  Year,  had  been  explained  away  by  the  Rabbis 
and  was  no  longer  in  force. 

A  little  group  of  these  Rabbis  and  rich  landowners  from 
the  city  appeared  at  this  moment  on  the  scene.  The  crowd 
made  way  for  them  as  if  they  were  kings,  and  tlicv,  gather- 
ing their  robes  about  them  to  avoid  the  least  touch  of  the 


350  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  vermin "  and  "  dogs "  that  composed  the  multitude, 
passed  haughtily  on  towards  where  Jesus  was.  In  their 
secret  hearts  they  could  not  but  look  upon  Jesus,  who  ate 
and  slept  and  lived  with  such  people  on  equal  terms,  with 
the  same  scorn  and  contempt  that  they  had  for  his  follow- 
ers ;  but  then,  as  now,  the  man  who  controls  the  multitude, 
even  if  he  be  one  "  possessed,"  was  not  to  be  despised,  and 
these  crafty  old  Rabbis  were  experienced  dissemblers. 

And  so  they  now  approached  Jesus  with  all  the  ceremoni- 
ous respect  due  to  a  great  Rabbi ;  they  addressed  him  as 
Master,  and  remonstrated  with  him  for  not  coming  himself 
into  the  city  and  being  entertained  in  a  manner  becoming 
his  rank  as  a  great  Teacher.  These  lawyers,  doctors,  and 
rich  men  at  this  out-of-the-way  place  had  received  instruc- 
tions from  the  agents  of  Annas.  But  instructions  had 
been  superfluous ;  they  knew  by  instinct  that  to  corrupt  the 
People's  champion  was  easier  and  more  effectual  than  open 
opposition.  Such  tactics  have  always  been  employed  by 
the  corrupters  of  the  People's  champions,  and  have  seldom 
failed  in  all  the  world's  history.  The  modem  Reformer, 
sprung  from  the  mine,  the  work-shop,  or  the  hill-side  farm, 
when  he  attains  to  evening  dress  and  after-dinner  speeches, 
begins  to  see  his  fellow-laborers  in  a  new  light,  £tnd  tacitly 
settles  doAvn  to  the  conclusion  that  after  all  men  are  not 
created  equal,  and  there  must  be  classes  and,  alas,  also 
masses. 

Jesus  had  often  before  accepted  the  invitations  of  the 
rich,  and  had  partaken  cheerfully  and  heartily  of  the  good 
things  they  had  to  offer ;  but  he  had  never  yielded  to  their 
allurements  and  had  not  been  misled.  Now,  he  received 
the  attentions  of  these  smooth  diplomats  with  serene  civility, 
and  invited  them  to  be  seated  by  his  side ;  but  they  had  no 
desire  for  so  close  a  relationship  and  excused  themselves. 
They  were,  they  said,  unworthy  of  such  an  honor:  they 
came  out  as  pupils  to  learn  of  the  Great  Rabbi.  Would 
he  be  so  kind  and  condescending  as  to  instruct  their  igno- 


THE  IDEAL  351 

ranee  in  some  matters?  Jesus  was  not  deceived,  but  he 
answered  them  friendlily. 

One  of  the  company,  a  lawyer  named  Esrom,  then  said, 
"  We  know  that  thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God,  and  be- 
Hevest  in  Moses  and  the  Law.  How  then  is  it  that  thou 
sayest,  Resist  not  evil,  and  will  allow  no  man  to  divorce  his 
wife  for  any  cause?  " 

These  were  fair  questions  and  Jesus  answered  them 
plainly,  and  others  followed  in  the  same  line.  He  told 
them  frankly  that  the  law  of  Moses  in  its  technical  details 
was  no  longer  enforced.  "  Not  one  of  you  here  to-day," 
he  said,  "  lives  by  Moses,  and  you  know  it  very  well.  If 
you  would  live  in  the  spirit  of  Moses,  we  might  say  nothing 
about  the  letter.  Moses  allowed  many  things  to  the  bar- 
barous, hard-hearted  men  of  his  day  that  was  contrary  to 
the  general  spirit  of  his  teaching.  You  yourselves  are 
my  witnesses.  You  go  to  Jerusalem  and  sit  at  the  feet  of 
a  Rabbi  who  says  to  you,  '  What  is  hateful  to  thee,  that  do 
not  to  another,'  and  this,  he  says,  is  the  whole  Law,  and  the 
rest  only  explanation.  And  you  profess  to  believe  this 
doctrine.  Why,  then,  do  you  ask  me  why  I  follow  not 
Moses ! 

"  Moses,  Indeed,  allowed  our  fathers  many  things. 
When  they  came  up  out  of  Egypt  they  were  little  better 
than  a  horde  of  savages,  worshiping  golden  calves  and 
practicing  many  Egyptian  abominations.  Would  ye  that 
we  go  back  to  Sinai  and  the  desert?  In  Moses'  time  there 
was  hardly  such  a  thing  as  marriage.  Those  rough  fight- 
ing men  had  as  many  wives  as  they  could  steal  or  carry 
off,  and  turned  them  away  to  starve  and  perish  when  they 
grew  old  or  displeased  them. 

"  Moses  commanded,  as  a  partial  reform  of  this  brutal- 
ity, to  give  the  wife  a  written  bill  of  divorcement,  stating 
cause  and  circumstance.  But  from  the  beginning  It  was 
not  so.  God  made  them  male  and  female,  and  In  marriage 
they  twain  became  one  flesh.     What  God  hath  joined  to- 


352  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

gether,  let  not  man  put  asunder.  Ye  say  that  for  forni- 
cation, at  least,  a  man  may  put  away  his  wife ;  but  I  say 
unto  you,  for  no  cause  whatever  may  a  man  put  away  his 
wife.  The  sin  of  fornication  may  be  as  much  in  the  heart 
as  in  the  act.  What  man  of  you  hath  not  looked  upon  a 
woman,  not  your  wife,  to  lust  after  her !  Shall  your  wife 
divorce  you,  therefore.''  By  your  own  words  be  ye  judged. 
What  is  hateful  to  thee,  that  do  not  to  another.  Love  and 
cherish  the  wife  of  thy  youth,  and  let  that  relic  of  bar- 
barism, divorce,  be  blotted  out  forever."  * 

There  were  further  question  and  answer  on  these  lines, 
and  these  Rabbis  and  rich  men  of  Bethshan,  simpler  and 
less  hurt  in  worldly  ambitions  by  the  revolutionary  teach- 
ing of  Jesus  than  their  brethren  of  Jerusalem,  went  silently 
away, —  not,  indeed,  convinced  and  converted,  but  deeply 
impressed.  They  came  to  scoff:  they  went  away  to  think, 
—  some  of  them  to  pray. 

When  the  rich  men  had  gone,  the  multitude,  growing 
gradually  bolder,  began  to  press  around;  and  an  old  man, 
leaning  upon  a  staff,  who  appeared  to  be  a  sort  of  Patri- 
arch among  them,  pushed  to  the  front  and  asked  Jesus  if, 
indeed,  there  was  to  be  a  new  Kingdom  set  up  in  Israel. 
He  had  heard,  he  said,  that  Jesus  was  teaching  that. 

"  There  is,"  Jesus  answered,  "  a  new  Kingdom  to  be  set 
up  in  Israel  and  upon  earth;  but  as  John  and  all  the 
prophets  have  taught,  the  new  Kingdom  must  first  come 
in  the  hearts  of  men.  It  is  the  Kingdom  of  Kindness  and 
Brotherly  Love.  The  same  is  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and 
this  Kingdom  must  be  within  you,  first.  Be  good  to  one 
another;  love  your  neighbor  as  yourself.  When  all  men 
so  do  then  will  the  King  Messiah  appear  in  the  clouds,  and 
all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  and  then  will  there  be  a  new 
Earth." 

*  That  the  doctrine  of  divorce  as  set  forth  in  Matthew  is  a  forged 
addition  to  the  original  text  has  been  conclusively  proved.  Consult 
"My  Religion,"  by  Tolstoi,  Chap,  vi;  also,  "Jesus  of  Nazara," 
by  Keim. 


THE  IDEAL  353 

"  And  when,"  asked  the  old  man,  "  shall  these  things 
be?  " 

Jesus  answered,  "  The  time  knoweth  no  man ;  no,  not 
the  angels  in  heaven,  only  the  Father." 

The  old  man,  and  all  those  of  the  multitude  who  were 
near  enough  to  hear,  stared  blankly  in  silence,  and  the  old 
man  went  away,  muttering  his  discontent. 

Jesus  saw  that  the  idea  of  a  temporal  Kingdom  was  the 
only  one  that  had  taken  root,  and  all  that  he  had  said  about 
a  Spiritual  Kingdom  was  as  seed  fallen  by  the  wayside.  It 
made  him  sad,  but  not  discouraged.  He  thought  of  the 
little  morsel  of  leaven  that  he  had  seen  his  mother  hide  in 
the  mass  of  meal,  and  he  knew  that  it  would  be  so  with  every 
true  word.  Mere  preaching  to  the  multitude  after  the 
manner  of  John,  he  had  begun  to  see  was  of  little  use.  It 
only  made  them  discontented  and  restless,  stirring  in  them 
vain  hopes  and  vague,  visionary  notions  of  earthly  power 
and  dominion.  And  so,  when  they  asked  him  questions,  he 
told  them  stories. 

Jesus  had  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  homely  stories  that 
all  could  appreciate  in  a  degree,  and  he  could  make  up  a 
story  for  any  occasion.  What  now  grieved  and  dis- 
couraged him  most  of  all  was  to  see  that  his  increasing 
fame  among  the  people  was  due  almost  entirely  to  the 
reputation  he  had  got  as  a  worker  of  miracles.  In  the 
noble  honesty  and  purity  of  his  heart,  Jesus  had  naturally 
shrunk  with  aversion  from  acquiring  such  a  fame.  Mere 
miracle  workers,  already  numerous,  by  their  frauds  and  de- 
ceptions had  preyed  upon  the  people  to  their  great  harm, 
and  to  the  impoverishment  of  many.  It  was  reported  of 
one  Simon  Magus,  of  Samaria,  that  he  had  not  only  cured 
all  kinds  of  sickness  by  his  arts,  but  had  raised  the  dead. 
Jesus'  true  and  delicate  instinct  revolted  from  a  notoriety 
based  upon  such  arts ;  and  in  the  many  instances  where  his 
intense  sympathy  with  distress,  aided  by  a  powerful  domi- 
nating personality  and  magnetic  presence,  had  enabled  him 


354  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

to  give  relief  to  suffering,  he  had  straightly  charged  the 
person  reheved  to  keep  the  matter  to  himself  and  not  pub- 
lish it. 

But  spite  of  his  precautions,  the  story  of  his  wonderful 
cures  had  gone  abroad ;  and  he  saw  now  in  the  multitude 
about  him  a  large  number  of  sufferers  who  were  timidly  ap- 
proaching,—  some  helped  forward  by  their  f i-iends,  and  all 
given  place  with  that  generous  sympathy  which  every- 
where and  at  all  times  is  characteristic  of  the  poor  and  the 
lowly.  The  utter  wretchedness  of  such  beings  can  be  fully 
realized  only  by  those  who  have  travelled  in  the  Orient, 
and  seen  with  their  own  eyes  the  loathsome,  abject  misery 
of  the  sick  among  its  poor.  Hunger-wasted,  cadaverous 
beings,  hollow-eyed,  with  hands  like  bird's  claws,  grimy 
with  dirt,  and  clothed  in  filthy  rags,  they  pressed  around 
him,  believing  with  the  simple  faith  of  children  that  the 
Great  Master  could  help  them, —  if  he  would. 

Unlike  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  spumed  them 
away  with  scorn  and  abuse,  this  new  Master,  with  the 
presence  of  a  King,  looked  upon  them  with  tender  eyes, 
kindling  with  love;  he  spoke  to  them  words  of  sympathy 
and  kindness.  He  had  already  cured  many.  Surely  he 
would  cure  them! 

Well  may  it  have  been  said  that  Jesus,  looking  upon 
this  scene  not  only  of  the  sick,  the  lame,  and  the  blind,  but 
of  the  scarcely  less  pitiable  multitude  of  the  ignorant  and 
besotted,  all  sons  of  Abraham  and  children  of  the  promise, 
was  moved  with  compassion.  His  heart  swelled  within 
him.  The  "  Berserker  Rage,"  which  in  the  old  Norse 
Sea  King  could  wield  the  sword  of  a  giant  and  hew  down 
an  army,  was  turned,  in  Jesus,  to  the  mild  power  of  the 
sun  to  quicken,  restore,  and  build. 

Jesus  felt  blazing  up  within  him  the  fervid  flame  of 
SYMPATHY  and  Love,  and  with  it  an  accession  of  spiritual 
power  almost  limitless.  There  was  in  him  an  exaltation, 
an  elevation  of  soul,  that  radiated  out  from  him,  luminous 


THE  IDEAL  355 

and  dazzling,  like  a  great  Light.  His  form  dilated,  his 
eyes  seemed  almost  to  emit  sparks  of  fire,  and  his  whole 
being  took  on  an  aspect  that  made  men  gaze  upon  him  as 
upon  a  god,  Jesus  felt  this  sudden  and  mysterious  ac- 
cession of  power,  and  knew  that  there  was  virtue  given 
him  against  all  evil ;  he  knew  not  whence  it  came,  but  in 
the  directness  and  simplicity  of  his  pious  soul,  whence 
could  it  come  but  from  God.  All  the  wisdom  of  men  has 
not  been  able  to  give  it  a  better  explanation. 

And  Jesus  went  out  among  the  people,  the  sick,  the 
lame,  the  blind,  putting  his  hands  upon  them  and  speaking 
blessed  words  of  hope  and  cheer.  He  told  them  here  the 
story  of  Lazarus  and  Dives,  and  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  He 
assured  them  that  God  had  not  forgotten  His  people,  and 
repeated  again  and  again,  with  glowing  words  and  man- 
ner, what  he  had  told  the  old  man  about  the  Messiah 
coming  in  the  clouds,  with  angels  and  unimaginable  glory ; 
and  the  simple  people  looked  upon  him  with  an  awe  and 
reverence  hardly  to  be  understood  in  this  unbelieving  age. 
Many  to  whom  he  spoke  and  upon  whom  he  put  his  hands 
believed  themselves  cured  of  their  infirmities,  and  were 
cured ;  and  all  felt  themselves  stirred  and  roused  into  a 
newness  of  life.  Some  displayed  the  wildest  enthusiasm, 
and  went  away  singing  and  shouting  and  praising  God. 

It  was  a  day  of  exhausting  toil,  such  as  only  one  gifted 
to  do  it  can  know ;  and  when  the  evening  was  come,  and  the 
people  sent  away  to  their  homes,  Jesus  suddenh^  became 
aware  that  he  was  utterly  wearied  and  spent.  He  had 
eaten  nothing  since  the  morning,  and  in  the  excitement  no 
one  but  ]\Iary  had  thought  to  provide  any  thing  for  the 
evening  meal.  She,  when  Jesus  had  lain  down  in  his  tent, 
brought  a  carefully  prepared  dish  of  pottage,  such  as  all 
Hebrews  have  loved  from  the  daj^s  when  blind  old  Isaac 
received  it  at  the  hand  of  the  perfidious  Jacob.  She 
placed  it  before  him  timidly,  without  speaking. 

Jesus  had  cast  himself  upon  the  rude  bed  and  lav  in 


356  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

careless  discomposure,  with  one  hand  hanging  down  to  the 
ground  and  with  his  eyes  closed.  So  completely  ex- 
hausted was  he  that  every  function  of  life  was  at  the  lowest 
ebb:  he  hardly  breathed,  and  his  pulse  almost  ceased  to 
beat ;  he  really  thought  himself  dying.  He  seemed  asleep  ; 
but  his  lips  moving  as  if  in  prayer,  and  eyelids  quivering 
with  nervous  strain,  revealed  plainly  enough  that  he  was 
not  sleeping.  Presently,  however,  his  lips  ceased  to  move, 
and  he  opened  his  eyes,  to  meet  those  of  Mary  fixed  upon 
him  with  tender  solicitude. 

"  Thou  art  my  angel  of  Mercy,  Mary,"  he  said  "  God 
surely  hath  raised  thee  up  to  be  His  minister.  I  know 
not  how,  but  it  hath  been  given  me  to  see  that  thou,  too, 
hast  a  work  to  do  in  this  world.  Thou  art  blessed  of  my 
Father." 

Mary  dropped  on  her  knees,  and  taking  the  cold,  clammy 
hand  of  Jesus,  chafed  it  with  her  own  warm  palms,  and 
bathed  it  with  her  tears.  "  The  work  is  too  great  for 
thee,"  she  said.  "  Thou  art  growing  thin  and  pale  every 
day,  and  I  feel  sure  thou  canst  not  go  on  for  long  this 
way.  Why  not  take  two  or  three  of  thy  disciples  and  go 
away  secretly,  and  rest  for  awliile." 

While  they  were  talking,  there  was  the  sound  of  excited 
voices  outside  the  tent,  that  arose  almost  to  the  pitch  of 
anger.  They  could  distinguish  the  voices  of  the  disciples 
mingled  with  those  of  Salome  and  the  other  women,  arguing 
and  contending  about  the  places  they  would  have  in  the 
New  Kingdom. 

Jesus  sat  up,  and  heaved  a  sigh  that  was  almost  a  groan. 
*'  Will  they  never  learn  ?  Will  they  never  see .''  "  he  mur- 
mured. "  Thou  art  right,  Mary,  in  a  manner,  in  saying 
I  should  go  away ;  but  I  must  go  alone.  Thou  canst  tell 
them  not  to  follow  or  look  for  me,  for  when  the  spirit 
moveth  I  will  come  again.     Call  in  my  disciples." 

Mary  went  to  the  door  of  the  tent  and  told  them  that  the 
Master  wished  to  see  them,  and  immediately  they  ceased  to 


THE  IDEAL  357 

contend,  and  came  in  timidly,  knowing  that  they  had  been 
heard.  Jesus  then  asked  them  wliat  it  was  that  they  were 
contending  so  angrily  about ;  all  hung  their  heads,  and  no 
one  answered.  Then  Jesus  asked :  "  Where  is  little 
Ruth.?" 

Now  Ruth  was  a  little  girl  whom  Joanna,  her  mother, 
had  brought  with  her,  because  she  loved  her  and  could  not 
be  parted  from  her ;  and  when  Ruth  was  brought  in,  slie 
came  clinging  to  her  mother  and  hiding  her  face  in  her 
skirts,  because  she  was  afraid.  But  Jesus  called  to  her, 
and  after  some  persuasion  she  went  to  him  very  timidly, 
and  Jesus  took  her  upon  his  knees.  Then  he  spoke  to  his 
disciples. 

"  You  are  yet  contending  about  place  and  power  in  the 
New  Kingdom,  but  try  and  remember  what  I  say  to  you: 
Unless  you  are  converted,  and  become  changed  in  heart 
and  become  as  this  little  child,  there  will  never  be  any 
Kingdom  of  God  for  you ;  for  as  I  told  the  old  man  to-day, 
the  Kingdom  of  God  is  to  come,  first,  within  you,  in  the 
hearts  of  men.  The  old  man  was  offended  because  of  this 
saying,  and  so,  I  fear,  will  you  be ;  but  so  must  it  be,  for 
the  fulfilling  of  all  righteousness. 

"  Ye  seek  to  exercise  authority ;  so  do  the  rulers  of  the 
Gentiles  seek  to  exercise  authority  over  them ;  but  in  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  it  is  not  so.  Love  banisheth  fear,  and 
where  love  is,  law  and  authority,  whose  instrument  fear  is, 
cannot  come.  Be  ye,  therefore,  as  this  little  child,  meek 
and  lowly  of  heart ;  for  I  say  unto  you  that  in  the  New 
Kingdom  he  will  be  most  esteemed  who  serveth  best,  and  he 
will  be  greatest  who  is  serv'ant  of  all.  In  that  New  King- 
dom, unlike  the  Rulers  of  the  Gentiles,  the  greatest  shall 
not  be  distinguished  from  the  least  *  by  dress  or  food  or 
equipage  or  ser\'ants  or  aught  that  is  outside  of  a  man, 
but  only  by  Service.  He  who  loveth  best  serv^eth  best, 
and  he  who  serveth  best  is  Master  of  all." 

*  "  A  practice  then  firmly  established  among  the  Essenes." —  Geikie. 


358  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

While  Jesus  was  speaking,  someone  came  to  the  tent 
door  and  inquired  for  him.  Peter,  who  went  to  see,  re- 
turned answer  that  it  was  one  of  the  rich  men  of  Bethshan, 
who  had  been  with  the  company  from  the  city  that  day. 
Jesus  told  Peter  to  admit  him,  and  when  he  was  come  in  he 
fell  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  addressing  him  as  Good  Master, 
told  him  that  what  he  had  seen  and  heard  that  day  had 
troubled  him  so  he  could  not  sleep  or  find  rest  till  he  had 
come  and  asked  Jesus  what  he  should  do  to  be  received  as 
a  disciple. 

Jesus  first  corrected  him  about  calling  him  good,  for, 
he  said,  "  There  is  none  really  good  but  God.  We  all  do 
fail  in  something,  of  being  wholly  righteous ;  and  to  be- 
come a  disciple,  thou  must  first  obey  the  commandments 
as  Moses  gave  them,  '  Do  not  commit  adultery.  Do  not 
kill.  Do  not  steal.  Do  not  bear  false  witness.  Defraud 
not.  Honor  thy  father  and  mother,  and  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself.'  " 

And  the  man  said,  "  All  these  have  I  observed  from  my 
youth  up." 

The  man  was  young,  and  of  a  noble  countenance  and 
bearing ;  and  Jesus,  looking  upon  him,  felt  his  heart  yearn 
towards  him,  and  he  loved  him.  "  I  would  joy  to  have 
thee  for  a  disciple,"  he  said,  "  but  one  thing  thou  lackest ; 
go,  and  sell  all  that  thou  hast :  give  to  the  poor  what  is 
meet,  and  come  and  cast  in  thy  lot  with  us." 

Upon  hearing  this  the  young  man  arose,  and  his  coun- 
tenance was  changed,  for  he  was  greatly  troubled.  "  I 
have  great  possessions,"  he  said,  "  and  must  it  be  that  I 
sell  all.?" 

"  Thou  must  reserve  to  thyself  nothing,"  Jesus  answered. 
"  All  these  that  thou  seest,  my  disciples,  have  given  their 
all.  We  have  no  property  but  in  common.  Even  if  thou 
obeyest  the  law,  as  thou  sayest  thou  hast,  to  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself,  how  canst  thou  retain  for  thyself  what  thou 
givest  not  to  another.?  " 


THE  IDEAL  359 

And  the  j'oung  man  went  away  very  sorrowful.  And 
Jesus  and  all  those  who  stood  near  were  made  sad,  for  the 
young  man  was  pleasing  to  look  upon,  and  they  desired 
that  he  might  be  one  of  them.  Then  there  spoke  one  of 
the  company  who  lived  at  Bethshan,  and  he  confirmed 
that  which  was  already  thought,  for  he  said  the  ^^oung  man 
was  of  a  noble  family  and  lived  without  reproach  in  every 
observance  of  the  Law,  that  he  was  a  good  son  and  a 
good  husband  and  father,  and  that  even  his  numerous 
slaves  and  the  peasantry  on  his  great  estates  were  devoted 
to  him. 

Jesus  sighed  at  this  recital,  and  said,  "  How  hardly 
shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle." 

The  disciples  showed  astonishment  at  such  radical  doc- 
trine, and  one  asked,  "  Who,  then,  can  be  saved.'*  " 

Jesus  answered,  "  Consider  the  rich  man.  If  any  rich 
man  is  to  come  into  the  New  Kingdom,  we  would  say, 
surely  it  should  be  he.  As  we  learn,  he  is  accounted  a 
model  man  in  the  world,  fautless  and  without  reproach ;  I 
fear  that  he  looks  upon  himself  as  well  nigh  perfect,  and 
that  his  desire  to  become  one  of  us  arises  from  a  mere  thirst 
for  knowledge  of  new  things,  to  gain  something  for  him- 
self rather  than  a  desire  to  serve  others.  He  has  no  idea 
that  he  owes  anything  to  those  poor  bond-servants  and 
half  naked  wretches  who  serve  him  and  wear  out  their  lives 
for  him  on  his  estate.  He  looks  upon  himself  not  as  a 
brother  man  to  them,  but  as  one  superior  and  entitled  to 
their  service,  one  to  whom  God  has  given  rule  over  them, 
and  who  already,  by  trying  a  little  to  protect  them  against 
robbers  and  publicans  and  Roman  exactions,  is  their  bene- 
factor as  well  as  Lord  Paramount.  No,"  he  re- 
peated, sadly,  "  it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass  through 
the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the  King- 
dom of  God." 

No  one  spoke  after  this ;  and  one  after  another  of  the 


360  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

company  stole  silently  away,  leaving  Jesus  alone  with 
Mary.  Little  Ruth  had  fallen  asleep,  with  her  head  on 
Jesus'  breast ;  and  Jesus  arose  and  laid  her  softly,  without 
waking,  on  the  bed.  Mary  had  lighted  a  lamp  and  set  it 
on  a  table  close  by,  and  its  light  shone  on  the  face  of  the 
sleeping  child.  Jesus  gazed  upon  her  innocent  beauty 
with  gloating  eyes,  and  at  last  stooped  and  kissed  her  rosy 
cheek,  leaving  a  tear.  He  knew  that  Mary's  passionate 
eyes  were  fastened  upon  him  and  he  dared  not  look  up,  but 
took  his  cloak  and  without  a  word  went  away  into  the 
darkness. 

That  night,  when  the  waning  moon  rose,  a  weary,  bent 
man,  with  a  staff,  was  climbing  slowly  and  painfully  the 
rugged  slope  of  Mount  Gilboa,  where  a  thousand  years 
before  the  fated  Saul  and  his  warrior  sons  went  down  be- 
fore the  sword  of  the  Philistine. 


XXXIX 

WEAKNESS 

"  And    Jesus    immediately,    knowing    in    himself    that    virtue    had 
gone  out  of  him,  turned  him  about." — Mark  v-30. 

The  itinerary  of  Jesus'  journey ings  from  place  to  place 
through  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Galilee  has,  unfortunately, 
been  lost,  and  is  not  now  recoverable.  But  we  next  find 
him  in  teeming  Galilee,  and  not  far  from  the  Lake  of  Ti- 
berias. In  the  meantime  the  excitement  has  increased  and 
extended.  The  stories  of  miracles  and  the  healing  of  all 
manner  of  diseases,  spread  by  wildly  excited  enthusiasts, 
has  aroused  the  people,  if  possible,  more  than  ever  before. 
It  has  begun  to  be  whispered  that  Jesus  is  the  long-looked- 
for  Messiah. 

Other  complications  have  arisen.  The  Zealot  emissaries 
of  Jacobus  have  worked  upon  the  people  to  induce  them  to 
proclaim  Jesus  King.  Not  that  they  really  wanted  a  king, 
—  this  least  of  all, —  but  because  they  hoped  by  this  device 
to  gain  some  support  for  their  cause,  and  more  especially 
to  force  Jesus  to  make  a  decided  stand ;  it  being  well 
known  to  Jacobus  and  all  the  Zealot  leaders  that  Jesus 
was  as  unalterably  opposed  to  kingly  rule  as  themselves. 
Some  even  of  Jesus'  chosen  disciples,  Simon  Zelotes,  Judas 
Iscariot,  and  Peter,  have  been  brought  to  consider  this  plan 
favorably.  The  Priestly  Party  has  also  given  encourage- 
ment to  this  movement  as  most  surely  to  arouse  Pilate  to 
energetic  opposition,  and  to  bring  the  power  of  Rome  to 
destroy  Jesus  and  his  heresy.  The  case  for  the  Priestly 
Party  is  becoming  really  desperate.  All  sects  and  septs 
are  uniting  against  the  tyranny  and  injustice  of  priestly 
rule,  and  neither  Herod  nor  the  Romans  will  raise  a  hand 
to  put  down  its  enemies.     The  plot  thickens  on  every  hand. 

361 


362  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Annas  and  Caiaplias  have  succeeded  in  so  working  upon 
the  fears  of  the  luxurious  and  slothful  Rabbis  at  Jerusalem 
that  they  have  been  aroused  to  more  activity,  and  the  most 
able  and  adroit  of  their  number  have  gone  personally  into 
Galilee  to  use  whatever  means  may  offer  to  oppose  the 
flood  of  innovation  which  threatens  to  sweep  away  all  the 
artfully  constructed  cobwebbery  of  their  Priestly  rule. 

Under  conditions  like  these  we  get  our  next  view  of 
Jesus  at  Dalmanutha,  not  far  from  Magdala.  Yesterday 
was  one  of  the  greatest  days  so  far  in  Jesus'  career.  In 
the  midst  of  wild  excitement  occasioned  by  the  cure  of  a 
paralytic,  a  cry  was  raised,  proclaiming  Jesus  King. 
There  are  various  and  strangely  conflicting  accounts  of 
where  and  by  whom  the  cry  was  first  raised ;  but  there  can 
be  no  doubt  but  that  it  was  instigated  and  urged  forward 
by  the  agents  of  both  Jacobus  and  Annas. 

An  unknown  man  of  good  presence  and  pleasing  ad- 
dress had  harangued  the  multitude,  and  urged  upon  them 
many  plausible  reasons  for  making  Jesus  King.  In  the 
confusion  which  followed  the  man  disappeared,  and  no 
one  could  tell  whence  he  came  or  whither  he  went.  At 
night,  when  all  was  over,  all  sorts  of  stories  were  in  cir- 
culation about  tliis  mysterious  stranger.  Some  said  he  was 
a  prophet,  a  holy  man  sent  of  God,  and  some  even  said 
that  he  had  vanished  out  of  sight  like  an  apparition. 

Among  those  who  urged  Jesus  to  become  King  were  his 
disciples  Simon  Zelotes,  Judas  Iscariot,  and  Peter.  Of 
course  Jesus  had  refused  to  listen  to  such  a  proposal,  and 
finally,  to  escape  solicitation,  withdrew  to  his  tent  and  re- 
fused to  be  seen  any  more  that  day.  The  multitude  at- 
tending upon  him  was  greater  than  ever  before,  and  the 
people  had  begun  to  lose  their  awe  of  him  to  that  extent 
that  they  pressed  upon  him  with  clamor.  One-half  of  the 
male  population  of  these  parts,  because  of  ignorance  and 
vile,  filthy  habits,  were  suff'ering  from  some  kind  of  dis- 
ease of  the  eyes,  and  the  paralytic  and  insane  were  very 


WEAKNESS  363 

numerous.  All  these  pressed  upon  Jesus  with  cries,  the 
hoarse  voices  of  men  mingling  with  the  shrill  screams  of 
wretched  women,  all  miserable  creatures, —  homeless,  friend- 
less, and  despairing,  cast  out  to  die,  as  they  often  were,  by 
relatives  scarcely  less  poor  and  miserable  than  themselves. 
Those  that  could  walk  sought  but  to  touch  the  hem  of 
Jesus'  garment,  and  at  one  time,  the  cry  being  raised  that 
Jesus  was  in  the  act  of  healing  all  who  came,  there  was 
such  a  wild  rush  to  get  near  that  many  poor,  helpless 
wretches  were  trod  under  foot  and  killed. 

Jesus'  sympathies  were  aroused  by  these  spectacles  to  a 
painful  degree.  As  at  Bethshan,  he  had  great  compas- 
sion ;  but  what  could  he  do  in  such  a  deluge.  To  his  chosen 
disciples,  alone  by  themselves,  he  could  speak  of  the  law 
of  love,  teach  them  to  despise  riches  and  glory  in  poverty, 
planting  in  them  the  seed  of  Universal  Brotherhood.  But 
even  in  them  he  had  found  thus  far  little  evidence  of  in- 
telligent appreciation.  What,  then,  could  there  possibly 
be  in  this  besotted  crowd  to  encourage  him ! 

That  night,  as  Jesus  lay  in  his  tent  thinking  of  all  these 
things,  the  hopelessness  of  the  situation  came  upon  him 
with  almost  crushing  weight.  He  was  depressed  and  cast 
down  by  extreme  exhaustion,  too  weak  and  nerveless  even 
to  sleep.  Virtue  had  gone  out  of  him  almost  to  the  last 
drop.  As  he  reviewed  the  work  of  the  past,  beginning  with 
John  and  his  head  brought  in  on  a  charger  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  harlots  and  drunken  roisterers,  and  thought  how 
little  had  been  gained  and  how  he  himself  might  share  the 
fate  of  John,  he  grew  sick  at  heart. 

And  now  this  perverting  demand  for  him  to  be  King, 
with  all  it  entailed  of  ruthless  war  and  bloodshed, —  and 
this  the  apparent  fruit  of  all  his  own  work  and  teaching, 
and  his  chosen  disciples  supporting  and  urging  it  on. 
How  far  off,  how  impossible,  seemed  now  his  ecstatic  dream 
of  a  Kingdom  of  God. 

Jesus  knew  that  the  following  day  would  be,  if  possible, 


364  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

more  laborious  and  trying, —  greater  in  its  demand  for 
calmness  and  strength  and  decision  than  any  former  day. 
He  knew,  or  at  least  divined,  of  all  the  plots  against  him, 
and  in  his  present  state  of  exhaustion  felt  that  it  would  be 
impossible  for  him  to  meet  all  the  demands  of  the  hour  in 
a  way  to  honor  his  cause.  His  impassioned  soul  was  sub- 
ject, even  more  than  other  men's,  to  those  extremes  of 
elation  and  depression  which  the  noblest  minds  have  most 
markedly  exhibited.  If,  in  the  strength  of  the  morning, 
he  could  look  upon  the  New  Kingdom  as  at  hand,  at  the 
very  door, —  in  the  weakness  and  exhaustion  of  the  mid- 
night hour,  it  often  seemed  too  far  away  to  be  ever  reached 
or  realized. 

And  hence  it  was  that  so  often  after  such  days  of  labor 
and  excitement  Jesus  withdrew  himself  secretly  in  the  night, 
and  went  away  into  mountains  and  deserts,  where,  in  soli- 
tary communion  with  God,  he  could  alone  find  strength  and 
courage  for  renewed  battle.  This  was  one  of  those  occa- 
sions. 

The  question  of  how  to  meet  on  the  morrow  renewed  at- 
tempts to  bring  him  into  collision  with  Rome:  whether  he 
should  have  wisdom  and  strength  to  answer  the  cunning 
queries  of  the  learned  and  practiced  Rabbis  from  Jerusa- 
lem, whom  he  knew  were  laying  snares  for  him !  Could 
he  gather  energy  and  faith  sufficient  to  meet  that  army  of 
sick  and  miserable  outcasts  whom  he  knew  were  in  waiting 
for  him? 

Thinking  of  these  things,  Jesus'  head  reeled,  a  faintness 
came  over  him  almost  like  death.  So  it  would  be  on  the 
morrow.  His  enemies  Avould  laugh  him  to  scorn ;  they 
would  triumph  over  him,  and  his  cause  would  suffer  de- 
feat. Jesus  arose.  Better,  far  better,  were  it  to  flee  than 
to  remain.  A  small  lamp,  lighted  and  left  by  Mary,  burned 
low  on  a  stand  near  by,  and  by  its  dim  light  Jesus  saw  his 
cloak,  cleaned  and  dusted  by  the  same  hand,  lying  near  it. 


WEAKNESS  365 

Yes,  he  would  go  away  alone  to  the  desert  or  the  mountains 
and  rest  for  a  time.  He  took  up  his  cloak,  extinguished 
the  light,  and  went  out. 

It  was  midnight,  and  his  immediate  followers  were  all 
asleep.  There  was  no  moon,  but  the  great  constellations 
were  forth,  Sirius  and  Aldebaran  through  that  still,  clear 
air  blazing  like  suns.  Jesus  stood  for  some  time  looking 
upward,  and  his  lips  moved  in  silent  prayer.  He  knew 
nothing  of  astronomy,  but  to  him,  as  to  every  reverent 
soul  since  the  world  began,  those  silent  monitors  spoke  of 
infinite  power  and  infinite  goodness,  and  he  repeated  with 
reverence  Job's  noble  invocation :  "  Which  alone  spread- 
eth  out  the  heavens  and  treadest  upon  the  waves  of  the  sea, 
which  maketh  Arcturus,  Orion,  and  the  Pleiades,  and  the 
chambers  of  the  south." 

Late  as  it  was,  as  Jesus  walked  on  he  passed  numerous 
groups  of  people  still  sitting  about  little  smouldering  fires 
and  talking  excitedly  about  him  and  his  doings.  He  did 
not  pause  to  listen,  for  such  things  were  only  a  spur  to 
urge  him  swifter  away. 

At  last  he  had  got  clear  of  the  camp,  and  was  in  an  open 
field,  hurrying  on  towards  a  wild,  rocky  gorge  that  was 
well  known  to  him,  when,  from  a  thicket  of  myrtle  he  was 
passing,  he  heard  a  sound  that  startled  him  and  made  him 
pause.  As  he  listened  intentl}',  he  heard  a  voice  in  prayer. 
The  air  was  so  still  and  the  silence  so  profound,  and  the 
voice,  though  low,  rang  out  so  clear  in  the  quiet  midnight, 
he  could  not  choose  but  hear.  It  was  a  woman's  voice 
praying,  and  for  him:  that  he  might  be  saved  from  his 
enemies,  that  he  might  have  strength  and  courage  to  do 
battle  manfully,  and  to  overcome,  to  do  the  work  ap- 
pointed him.  What  thoughts  he  had  it  were  presumption 
to  surmise !  For  the  moment  he  was  overwhelmed.  A 
large  evergreen  oak  stood  near,  and  Jesus,  trembling 
violently,  passed  beneath  it  and  sat  down. 


366  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

A  little  later  the  praying  ceased,  and  a  woman  came  out 
of  the  thicket  and  stood  a  moment  with  upturned  face, 
silent  and  motionless.  The  old  moon  was  just  rising,  and 
by  its  light  and  the  stars  shining  full  upon  it,  Jesus  saw 
the  rapt,  wistful,  and  still  beautiful  face  of  Mary  of 
Magdala. 


XL 

EXHAUSTION 

"  To  the  Pharisees  Jesus  would  seem  to  have  been  defeated,  and  to 
stand  self-convicted  of  having  made  Divine  claims  which,  when  chal- 
lenged. He  could  not  substantiate." —  Edersheim. 

Mary  went  back  to  camp  entirely  unconscious  of  having 
been  heard  or  observed.  When  Jesus  lost  sight  of  her, 
passing  behind  a  cactus  hedge,  he  slipped  off  the  stone  on 
which  he  sat,  and  threw  himself  upon  his  face  on  the  bare 
ground,  and  there  he  lay  for  a  long  time  as  one  dead. 

At  last  a  flush  of  dawn  began  to  glow  in  the  east,  the 
moon  and  stars  grew  pale,  and  a  lark,  springing  from  its 
nest  near  by,  soared  heavenward,  filling  all  the  air  with 
its  wondrous  song.  Then  Jesus  got  up,  and  after  repeat- 
ing the  Shema  started  back  to  his  place. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  and  the  scene  spread  out  be- 
fore Jesus  was  then,  and  is  even  yet,  after  nineteen  cen- 
turies of  misrule,  of  war,  and  devastation,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  world.  Away  to  the  eastward,  sparkling 
and  glowing  under  the  morning  sun,  lay  in  full  view  the 
fair  lake  of  Galilee,  dotted  with  sails,  and  its  shores  lined 
with  cities  and  villages  bowered  in  tropical  verdure.  The 
rising  mists  of  morning,  rolling  and  curling  in  a  thousand 
grotesque  forms,  and  gilded  here  and  there  with  solar  fire, 
half  hid  the  purple  mountains  of  the  farther  side,  while 
at  his  feet  and  all  around  lay  as  fair  a  scene  of  farms  and 
vineyards,  orchards  and  groves,  as  ever  graced  the  world. 
There  was  the  accumulated  wealth  of  a  thousand  years  of 
patient  toil.  The  magnificence  of  the  cities  and  of  the 
palaces  of  the  rich  was  beyond  compare.  The  earth 
brought  forth  abundantly  ;  there  was  enough,  and  to  spare. 

Jesus  looked  upon  all  this  as  he  walked  in  from  the  fields, 

367 


368  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  his  heart  swelled  with  love  and  joy  and  gratitude  to 
God  for  giving  to  man  so  beautiful  and  so  good  a  world. 
Then  suddenly  in  thought  he  was  again  among  the  crowd, 
and  again  he  saw  its  poverty,  its  filth,  its  disease  and  misery 
and  degradation.  Again  he  looked  upon  the  bent  forms, 
the  pinched,  haggard  faces  of  the  half-naked  wretches  who 
had  come  swarming  from  their  mud-hovels,  looking  to  him 
for  rescue  and  for  vengeance.  Again  he  was  thrown  into 
the  wavering  balance,  and  heart  and  mind  were  torn  with 
new  conflicts.  Might  not  Jacobus  and  brother  Jude,  after 
all,  be  in  the  right?  How  could  this  greatest  of  all 
wrongs,  built  in,  woven  as  the  very  warp  into,  the  consti- 
tution of  all  human  things,  be  done  away  without  blood? 

Thinking  of  these  things,  Jesus  went  aside  into  a  thicket 
of  shrubs  and  wild  vines,  and  sat  down.  For  a  long  time 
he  sat  there,  thinking,  thinking,  thinking,  forgetful  of 
where  he  was  and  what  he  was  doing ;  but  finding  no  cer- 
tainty, no  peace.  The  world,  the  meaning  of  man,  and 
his  destiny !  Whence,  and  whither  ?  Was  it,  then,  but  a 
tangled  web  that  he  could  not  unravel? 

After  a  time  Jesus  became  aware  of  sounds  and  move- 
ment near  at  hand ;  then,  as  he  listened,  he  could  hear  the 
music  of  tambourines,  and  sweet,  clear  voices,  singing,  and 
shouts  of  laughter.  Putting  aside  the  branches,  Jesus 
looked  out  upon  a  little  smooth,  grassy  plot  near  a  small 
stream  of  clear  water,  where  a  company  of  young  girls 
were  having  a  gay  frolic  with  song  and  music  and  dance. 
There  were  no  men  or  boys  present,  and  the  girls  were 
giving  loose  rein  to  the  natural  and  innocent  joy  of  living. 
They  were  all  children  of  the  poor, —  dirty,  unkempt,  and 
clothed  in  scanty  rags :  but  they  were  happy ;  they  had 
health,  simplicity  and  purity,  and  these  were  enough. 

Jesus  gazed  long  upon  this  scene,  and  when  he  at  last 
arose  and  went  towards  the  camp,  his  form  was  again  erect, 
his  eye  clear  and  steadfast,  and  his  heart-beats  slow  and  full. 
For  the  moment  he  was  himself  again.     The  work  of  serv- 


EXHAUSTION  369 

ing  Jesus  in  the  various  offices  of  a  domestic  had,  by  this 
time,  naturally  fallen  to  ^Nlary  of  ]\Iagdala.  There  had 
been  nothing  said  to  influence  such  a  disposition ;  but 
Mary  had  shown  an  eagerness  to  serve,  and  her  ministra- 
tions had  evidently  been  acceptable.  The  other  women, 
with  equal  zeal,  still  thought  it  not  unfitting  that  the  fallen 
sister  should  perform  the  more  menial  services.  They  al- 
lowed her  to  gather  sticks  for  the  fire,  and  to  prepare  the 
breakfast  for  Jesus  and  for  them. 

When  Mary  brought  in  the  few  simple  things  for  Jesus' 
morning  meal,  she  also  set  before  him  a  cup  of  wine. 
"  This,"  she  said,  "  is  something  rare  and  fine ;  Joanna  got 
it  through  her  husband  from  the  stores  of  Herod.  It  will 
be  better  for  j'ou  than  the  common  sour  stuff  we  have  had. 
I  pra}^  you  drink  of  it.  You  will  need  all  your  strength 
this  day." 

Jesus  pushed  the  wine  away,  saying,  "  No,  Mary.  I 
cannot  drink  wine, —  perhaps  never  again, —  it  goes  to  my 
head,  and  instead  of  giving  me  strength,  seems  only  to 
confuse  and  darken  my  mind.  Joanna  is  very  kind,  as 
you  all  are,  but  please  don't  bring  me  wine  any  more." 

The  anxious  care  of  Mary  noted  that  not  only  was  the 
wine  refused,  but  that  Jesus  ate  almost  nothing  of  the 
more  substantial  fare.  She  saw,  too,  that  beneath  an  ex- 
terior of  calmness,  there  was  real  exhaustion  and  weakness. 
She  did  not  know  that  he  had  not  slept,  but  she  divined  it. 

"  Surel}'  thou  canst  not  go  out  to-day,"  she  said.  "  The 
work  is  too  heav}^  for  thee.  Let  me  call  Peter,  and  have 
him  send  the  people  awaj^  till  thou  art  rested  and  more  able 
to  meet  them."  The  woman  was  very  earnest  and  there 
were  tears  in  her  eyes.  But  Jesus  looked  at  her  sadly,  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  O  my  Lord  and  Master !  "  cried  Mary,  casting  herself 
at  Jesus'  feet.  "  Let  my  words  prevail  this  once !  Do  let 
Peter  send  the  people  away."  Jesus  only  put  his  hand  on 
the  bowed  head,  and  closed  his  eyes  without   answering. 


370  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  And  Ehud  has  told  me  this  morning  that  more  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  from  Jerusalem,  are  to  come  upon  thee 
to-day.  Thou  art  sick,  and  not  prepared  to  meet  them. 
Oh,  let  Peter  say  that  thou  art  sick." 

"  It  is  not  true  that  I  am  sick,  and  Peter  must  not  say 
it,"  said  Jesus,  firmly.  "  Perhaps  to-morrow  I  will  go 
away,  but  to-day  it  is  too  late.  Let  it  be  as  God  wills. 
If  I  am  to  meet  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  this  day,  God 
will  give  me  strength." 

And  so  Jesus  went  forth  and  sat  down  in  front  of  his 
tent  and  talked.  He  did  not  go  about  among  the  crowd, 
but  sat  and  taught.  After  a  time  he  was  asked  by  one, 
saying,  "  Master :  It  is  said  by  the  Rabbis  that  when  the 
Messiah  is  come  the  earth  will  produce  of  itself  and  with- 
out labor  a  hundredfold  what  now  it  does,  that  the  stalks 
of  corn  will  grow  like  palm  trees,-  that  a  single  "grape  will 
load  a  wagon  and  pure  wine  of  Engedi  will  flow  from  it 
as  from  a  cask.  In  the  New  Kingdom  that  thou  dost 
promise,  will  it  be  so?  And  will  there  be  in  it  no  more 
taskmasters,  no  more  hunger,  or  thirst,  or  cold,  or  naked- 
ness.? " 

And  Jesus  answered  and  said  what  he  often  repeated, 
"  The  Kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.  It  is  what  you 
make  it.  You  may  make  it  as  you  say,  free  from  every 
evil." 

Then  he  told  them  a  story.  "  Once  on  a  time,"  he  said, 
"  there  was  a  great  king,  who  ruled  over  many  nations. 
He  had  palaces  and  gardens,  slaves  and  servants  without 
number.  He  had  wives  and  concubines,  the  fairest  in  all 
the  world.  There  was  nothing  that  heart  could  wish  that 
was  not  his.  Even  the  labor  and  care  of  administering 
his  great  kingdom  and  taking  care  of  his  great  possessions 
were  laid  upon  others.  And  yet  this  great  king  was  not 
happy, —  his  palaces  and  parks  and  gardens,  with  their 
brave  ornaments,  their  fountains  and  fruits  and  flowers, 
were  no  better  to  him  than  the  wilderness.     The  sun,  the 


I 


EXHAUSTION  371 

moon,  the  stars,  and  the  blue  heaven  above  were  as  the  dull 
shows  of  a  theater  or  a  stage.  His  wives  and  his  concu- 
bines were  hateful  to  his  eyes.  He  found  no  delight  in 
any  thing  that  there  was  in  all  the  world,  and  the  king's 
countenance  was  fallen,  and  he  became  a  fear  unto  all  that 
came  near  unto  him. 

"  Then,  at  last,  the  king  called  together  all  the  magi- 
cians and  all  the  astrologers  and  all  the  soothsayers  of  his 
kingdom,  to  inquire  of  them  how  he  should  find  happiness. 
And  some  said  one  thing,  and  some  another ;  and  the  king 
tried  many  devices  but  was  not' healed.  At  length  came  a 
wise  man  from  the  desert,  who  said  to  the  king,  '  If  thou 
gettest  thee  the  chaluq  (shirt)  of  a  happy  man  and  wearest 
it,  thou  wilt  be  happy ! '  So  spake  the  holy  man  from  the 
desert,  and  departed. 

"  Then  thought  the  king,  how  easy  and  simple  a  thing 
in  this ;  surely  my  chief  counselor  is  a  happy  man,  and  I 
will  wear  his  shirt  and  be  happy.  But  when  the  chief 
counselor  was  asked,  he  declared  unto  the  king  that  he  of 
all  men,  because  of  the  cares  and  burdens  of  government, 
was  least  happy.  And  so  was  it  with  all  the  princes  and 
governors  and  captains  who  ruled  over  the  provinces  and 
cities  and  over  the  armies  of  the  king.  One  and  all,  some 
for  one  thing  and  some  for  another,  counted  themselves 
unhappy.  Then  the  king  sought  among  merchants  and 
traffickers,  tradesmen  and  husbandmen,  but  found  no  one. 
All  were  equally  lacking. 

"  At  last,  in  despair,  as  he  was  one  day  passing  along  a 
country  road,  he  saw  a  beggar-man  sitting  by  the  wayside, 
playing  on  a  harp  and  singing  a  simple  song.  The 
beggar-man  gave  no  heed  to  the  king  with  all  his  splendor 
of  equipage  and  attendance,  but  went  on  singing  and  play- 
ing; and  he  looked  so  serene  and  contented  that  the  king 
conmiandcd  that  he  be  brought  to  him  that  he  might  inquire 
of  him.  And  the  beggar-man  confessed,  and  told  the  king 
that  he  was  happy.     Then  was  the  king  glad,  and  gave 


372  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

command  that  the  shirt  of  the  beggar-man  be  taken  from 
him, —  when  lo !  it  was  found  that  the  beggar-man  had  no 
shirt.     And  the  king's  trouble  remained  without  remedy." 

This  story  was  hstened  to  with  breathless  attention  by 
the  multitude,  but  when  it  was  finished  Jesus  saw  by  the 
blank  faces  and  the  glance  from  one  to  another  that  there 
was  no  true  understanding  of  the  lesson  taught.  One 
sturdy  yeoman  he  heard  saying,  "  And  must  we  all  be 
beggars  to  be  happy?  " 

Then  Jesus  began  again,  and  said,  "  Who  hath  ears  to 
hear,  let  him  hear:  the  Kingdom  of  God  cometh  to  every 
man  who  is  able  to  receive  it.  The  Father  of  us  all  sendeth 
his  rain  upon  the  just  and  on  the  unjust,  upon  the  evil  and 
the  good.  The  earth  brings  forth.  The  grass  grows  in 
the  field.  The  corn  grows  while  the  sluggard  sleeps.  The 
vine  and  the  olive  cover  the  hills.  There  is  enough  and  to 
spare.  And  the  sun  sliines,  the  moon  gives  her  light, 
the  stars  come  forth,  the  winds  speak  their  testimonies,  the 
lilies  bloom,  the  birds  sing,  the  mountain  is  lifted  up,  the 
seas  and  the  plain  are  spread  out  alike  for  all  God's  chil- 
dren. No  man  can  be  deprived.  They  are  as  free  to  the 
beggar  by  the  wayside  as  to  the  king  on  his  throne. 

"  The  happiness  that  comes  of  being  kind,  of  loving 
and  being  loved,  of  being  good, —  what  man  can  be  de- 
prived of  this,  the  greatest  of  blessings  .f*  And  God,  our 
Father,  so  made  it  from  the  beginning,  that  His  best  gifts 
to  His  children  may  not  be  taken  away  from  any  man  who 
will  receive  them.  They  may  not  be  bought,  or  sold,  or 
stolen.  They  are  the  unalienable  inheritance  of  God's 
children  forever." 

In  the  afternoon,  while  Jesus  was  telling  a  story  to  the 
crowd  about  him,  it  was  suddenly  announced  that  the  com- 
pany of  Rabbis  from  Jerusalem  were  at  hand,  and  desired 
to  see  Jesus.  The  crowd  respectfully  gave  place  to  them, 
and  they  came  up  close  to  where  Jesus  was,  and  with  stately 
ceremonies   made   their  obeisance  to   him.     Five   of   these 


EXHAUSTION  3T3 

Rabbis  are  the  Sanhedrists  we  have  already  met  in  secret 
conclave  with  Annas  at  Jerusalem.  They  are  Judas,  Levi, 
Jairus,  Alexander,  and  Naphtali.  With  them  is  our  old 
acquaintance  Boethus,  and  also  Nicodemus.  Nicodemus 
has  not  come  as  a  member  of  the  commission,  but  inde- 
pendently, with  his  daughter  Rachel. 

Meeting  him  here  as  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin  was 
rather  embarrassing  to  these  secret  agents  of  Annas,  but 
they  put  on  a  bold  face  and  invited  Nicodemus  and  his 
daughter  to  go  with  them  to  meet  Jesus.  They  explained 
that  curiosity  had  drawn  them  to  make  the  journey,  as  no 
doubt  was  the  case  with  Nicodemus,  they  said.  Nicodemus 
was  not  deceived,  but  he  thought  best  to  dissemble;  and 
with  Rachel  he  joined  the  party,  and  went  with  them  to 
see  Jesus,  who  received  them  with  calm  serenity  and  —  to 
the  astonishment  and  even  the  horror  of  many  of  his  fol- 
lowers • —  with  no  more  ceremony  than  if  they  were  farmers 
or  mechanics.  Jesus  asked  them  to  be  seated,  and  then  went 
on  with  his  discourse,  just  as  if  no  one  but  common  people 
were  there. 

At  last,  when  Jesus  came  to  a  pause,  Alexander,  the  law- 
yer, arose  and  said,  "  Good  Master !  You  will  pardon  us 
of  Jerusalem,  who  know  of  you  and  of  your  works  only 
by  report,  if  we  do  not  understand  all  we  have  heard  of 
your  teaching  and  have  some  questions  to  ask.  Now  it  is 
said  that  thou  sayest  of  thyself  that  thou  art  a  holy  man, 
a  man  sent  of  God ;  some  even  say  that  thou  hast  set  up  to 
be  the  Son  of  God.     What  sayest  thou  of  these  things.''  " 

Jesus  answered,  mildly,  "  Every  man  that  cometh  into 
the  world  is  a  child  of  God.  If  he  does  God's  work  and 
continues  therein,  he  is  a  Son  and  Heir.  To  work  with, 
and  for  the  Father  is  to  be  His  Son,  and  Heir  to  the  Uni- 
verse. All  are  Sons  who  do  God's  work,  for  He  has  no 
bond-servants." 

Alexander  answered  by  saying,  "  It  ill  becomes  us  to 
call  in  question  so  wise  a  Rabbi  as  thou  art  on  matters  of 


374  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

this  sort.  But  how  are  we  to  know,  now  and  here,  that 
thou  art  sent  of  God?  It  is  reported  of  thee  that  thou  hast 
performed  many  miracles,  healed  the  sick,  restored  the 
blind,  and  cast  out  Devils.  Show  us  now  and  here  that 
thou  hast  the  power  of  a  prophet,  and  we  will  believe  thee 
to  be  one.      Give  us  a  sign  of  thy  authority." 

The  coming  of  these  Rabbis  from  Jerusalem  had  been  an 
event  much  talked  of  among  Jesus'  followers,  and  specula- 
tion had  been  rife  as  to  what  would  be  the  outcome.  It 
was  generally  believed  that  Jesus  would  make  the  occasion 
one  as  memorable  as  that  of  Moses  before  Pharaoh,  of 
Daniel  before  Nebuchadnezzar,  or  of  Elijah  before  Ahab. 
And  when  it  was  known  that  the  Rabbis  had  come,  the 
whole  multitude  from  near  and  far  pressed  and  crowded 
around,  that  they  might  be  actual  witnesses  of  the  direful 
discomfiture  of  Jesus'  enemies.  When  they  heard  this 
bold  challenge  of  Alexander's  their  hearts  almost  ceased  to 
beat.  They  fully  expected  to  see  the  ground  open  and 
swallow  up  the  unbelievers  or  a  bolt  from  heaven  consume 
them.  But  Avhen  nothing  of  the  kind  occurred  and,  in- 
stead, they  saw  Jesus'  pale  and  agonized  face  and  trembling 
lip,  the  sign  of  weakness  and  retreat,  and  in  the  Rabbis, 
evidences  of  exultation,  they  were  filled  with  amazement 
and  dismay.     And  the  worst  was  yet  to  come. 

Jesus  saw  that  he  was  ensnared,  and  in  striving  to  extri- 
cate himself  he  became  only  the  more  deeply  enmeshed. 
At  first  he  answered  nothing,  and  remained  silent.  What 
indeed  could  he  say !  The  legend  of  his  miracles  had 
grown  up  about  him  in  that  time  and  in  that  atmosphere  as 
naturally  and  inevitably  as  the  toadstool  springs  from  fer- 
menting waste.  He  could  not  have  prevented  it  if  he 
would ;  and  he  was  conscious  of  possessing  extraordinary 
powers  which  he  well  enough  and  rightly  believed  to  be  the 
gift  of  God.  Like  every  other  human  creature  this  world 
has  yet  known,  he  had  begun  to  accept  the  popular  estima- 
tion :  he  had  begun  to  believe  that  he  was  in  truth  what  the 


EXHAUSTION  375 

people  said  he  was,  a  prophet ;  and  in  his  moments  of  ex- 
altation he  felt  himself  equal  to  any  requirement. 

But  this  divine  afflatus,  this  ethereal  spirit,  is  not  to  be 
constrained, —  an  unseen,  winged  messenger,  it  comes,  it 
goes  obedient  only  to  the  Will  of  God.  Jesus  knew  this 
also,  and  hence  his  silence.  Alexander  saw  his  advantage, 
and  followed  it  up. 

"  There  hath  been,"  he  said,  "  no  prophet  or  man  of 
God  but  hath  given  a  sign,  and  many  signs.  Moses  at  the 
challenge  of  a  stiff-necked  and  rebellious  people  smote  the 
barren  rock  and  waters  gushed  forth.  At  the  word  of 
Elias,  the  fire  even  came  down  from  heaven  and  consumed 
the  two  captains  with  their  fifties,  and  at  another  time,  the 
sacrifice  upon  the  altar,  and  the  altar  itself.  Even  our 
Rabbis  of  deepest  learning  and  repute  are  not  lacking  in 
signs.  Every  man  knows  how  at  the  bidding  of  the  Rabbi 
Eliezer  the  tree  was  moved  four  hundred  cubits,  the  waters 
flowed  backwards,  and  the  walls  of  stone  bowed  down  and 
returned  to  their  place.  Another  Rabbi  turned  water  into 
blood ;  and  a  voice  from  Heaven  has  answered  to  the  call 
of  a  Rabbi.  These  things  are  well  known  and  were  done 
in  the  open,  before  all  men.  Give  us  now  a  like  sign,  and 
we  also  will  be  thy  disciples." 

These  instances  of  miracles  and  signs,  with  many  others 
not  mentioned  by  Alexander,  were  well  known  to  all  Jews, 
and  their  truth  was  not  questioned.  It  was  an  established 
axiom,  not  only  in  the  Jewish  religion  but  in  all  the  re- 
ligions of  the  East,  that  prophets  and  men  of  God  could 
work  miracles,  and  that  the  power  to  do  so  was  the  test  of 
their  calling.  Without  the  miracle  there  was  no  prophet. 
Jesus  knew  all  this,  and  he  saw  at  once  the  disastrous 
consequences  of  his  failure  to  give  a  sign. 

In  his  weak  and  exhausted  condition  he  could  not  even 
make  a  formidable  retreat ;  he  lost  his  habitual  calmness 
and  serenity ;  he  became  confused  and  discomposed.  He 
tried  to   answer  at  last,   but  his   words    were  vague   and 


376  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

unintelligible.  He  said  that  it  was  only  a  wicked  and 
adulterous  generation  that  demanded  a  sign,  and  no  sign 
should  be  given  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas.  Then 
he  made  some  obscure  allusions  to  the  Queen  of  Sheba's 
visit  to  Solomon,  and  intimated  that  he  there  in  their  midst 
was  greater  than  Jonas  or  Solomon.  Then  he  went  on 
to  tell  of  a  devil  going  in  and  out  of  a  man,  as  if  he  were 
a  house, —  first  alone,  and  then  with  seven  companions 
worse  than  himself. 

To  the  learned  theologian  and  commentator  of  to-day, 
these  obscure  passages  seem  not  to  present  insuperable 
difficulties,  and  they  are  explained,  doubtless,  to  the  satis- 
faction of  many ;  but  to  the  unillumined  and  uninstructed 
minds  of  his  hearers,  Jesus'  meaning  was  not  plain,  and 
the  effect,  together  with  his  too  evident  nervousness  and  ex- 
haustion, was  very  damaging.  To  the  great  company  of 
new  disciples  or  adherents  present,  it  was  disastrous,  even 
fatal ;  they  looked  from  one  to  another  in  evident  dismay. 
In  this  first  encounter  with  their  ancient  and  time-honored 
Masters,  their  new  and  upstart  hero  and  champion  was 
utterly  overthrown  and  cast  down.  Instantly  they  began 
to  murmur  against  him  and  to  draw  away.  In  the  crowd 
were  all  of  Jesus'  near  relatives, —  his  mother  and  sisters 
and  brethren.  They,  still  doubting,  had  come  with  some 
faint  hopes  that  they  might  see  in  the  loved  son  and  brother 
that  evidence  of  power  and  greatness  which  strangers  had 
ascribed  to  him.  But  when  they  saw  and  heard  what  we 
have  described,  they  felt  confirmed  in  the  belief  they  had 
long  secretly  entertained,  that  Jesus  was  insane  or  pos- 
sessed. 

With  a  view  to  rescuing  him  from  further  embarrass- 
ments and  to  get  him  away  home,  where  they  could  care 
for  him,  they  sent  word  by  those  standing  near  that  they 
wished  to  speak  with  him.  By  this  time  Jesus  saw  plainly 
that  he  had  lost  the  People.  They  were  slipping  away 
like  snow  in  a  great  thaw.     Alexander  and  his  compeers 


EXHAUSTION  377 

could  hardly  repress  their  exultation :  their  faces  expressed 
triumph.  Only  the  chosen  twelve,  and  the  few  women, 
remained  firm,  and  among  them  were  faces  dark  and 
gloomy  with  disappointment  and  doubt. 

Jesus  took  it  all  in  at  a  glance ;  he  knew  the  attitude  of 
his  own  family  towards  him,  and  he  divined  with  entire 
certainty  what  they  wanted.  Turning  then  to  the  little 
group  at  his  side  and  stretching  out  a  hand  towards  them, 
he  cried  with  passionate  fervor,  "  Behold  my  mother,  my 
sisters,  and  my  brethren.  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will 
of  God,  the  same  is  my  brother  and  sister  and  mother." 

The  ruler  of  a  near-by  synagogue,  who  had  come  with 
the  Rabbis,  explained  to  them  how  Jesus'  mother  and 
brethren  regarded  him,  and  they  felt  more  than  ever  sure 
of  complete  victory.  They  could  now  throw  off  the  mask 
and  give  the  fatal  stab.  Assuming  the  air  of  outraged 
justice,  Alexander  cried  out  and  said  to  Jesus,  "  Hear  now, 
thou  false  deceiver,  what  I  say  unto  thee.  We  have  proven 
thee  now  what  thou  art,  a  servant  of  the  Devil.  Thine 
own  mother  and  brethren  declare  that  thou  art  possessed. 
Behold  the  soldiers  of  Herod  are  already  on  the  road  to 
take  thee,  and  thou  wilt  have  shorter  shrift  than  Jolin.  Go, 
get  thee  gone,  and  let  Israel  see  thee  no  more." 

Outraged,  hurt,  defeated  as  Jesus  was,  he  still  made  a 
defiant  answer  to  the  Rabbis  as  they  went  exulting  away ; 
but  when  they  were  gone,  and  the  multitude  now  following 
them  were  no  longer  about  him,  Jesus  withdrew  into  his 
tent  and  threw  himself  on  his  face  on  the  ground.  Here 
he  lay  without  sound  or  motion  till  after  the  sun  was  set, 
and  INIary  came  in  with  his  supper  and  lighted  a  lamp ; 
then  Jesus  got  up,  and  his  e3'es  sought  those  of  Mary  with 
a  dull,  hopeless  glance.  She,  too,  is  like  the  rest,  he 
thought.  But  when  her  eyes  met  his  with  the  same  simple, 
childlike  love  and  reverence,  and  she  fell  at  his  feet,  speak- 
ing words  of  hope  and  cheer,  he  felt  his  own  heart  bound 
and  his  pulses  beat  with  renewed  hope  and  a  courage  bom 


378  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

almost  of  despair.  If  there  was  one  who  still  believed  in 
him,  one  who  loved  him,  it  was  enough :  he  would  fight  on. 

Then  he  inquired  of  Mary  about  the  disciples  and  about 
the  other  women.  Mary  evaded  and  excused,  but  was  at 
last  obliged  to  tell  that  they  had  all  gone  after  the  Rabbis 
and  had  listened  to  their  harangues  to  the  multitude  against 
Jesus.  None  of  them  came  near,  but  held  aloof,  and 
around  a  little  fire  away  to  one  side  were  darkly  discussing 
the  gloomy  outlook. 

Meanwhile  Nicodemus  and  his  daughter  Rachel  had 
gone  away  to  their  tent,  and  were  talking  of  the  events  of 
the  day.  Both  Nicodemus  and  Rachel  had  been  impressed, 
not  so  much  by  what  Jesus  had  said  or  done  as  by  his 
appearance  and  manner.  They  understood  the  trick  used 
by  the  Rabbis,  and  saw  the  disadvantage  in  which  Jesus 
had  been  placed.  Rachel  especially  was  deeply  moved,  and 
yielding  as  much  to  her  urgings  as  to  his  own  desire,  Nico- 
demus, after  nightfall,  sought  the  tent  of  Jesus  and  was 
admitted  to  his  presence.  Nicodemus  was  the  first  and 
only  man  of  culture  and  influence  Jesus  had  met  as  a 
friend.  He  was  the  first  and  only  man  whose  liberal  ideas 
enabled  him  to  appreciate  or  understand  the  sublime  ideal- 
ism of  the  Master. 

Men  whom  Nature  has  made  kin  require  no  introduction, 
no  lengthened  intercourse  to  become  acquainted:  Jesus  and 
Nicodemus  knew  each  other  almost  at  sight,  and  engaged 
at  once  in  a  heart-to-heart  talk.  Jesus  went  briefly  over 
the  movement,  beginning  with  John,  and  told  how  he  had 
been  led  along  step  by  step,  till  now  it  seemed  to  him  that 
his  mission  was  not  to  Israel  alone  but  to  the  whole  world. 
He  told  how  and  why  he  believed  that  a  total  revolution 
and  upheaval  in  human  aff'airs  was  about  to  take  place ;  he 
showed  the  necessity  for  it ;  he  presented  the  miseries  of  the 
common  people  —  the  injustice,  extortion,  and  wrong  which 
were  practiced  upon  them  by  lawyers,  doctors,  priests,  and 
the  rich  generally ;  he  showed  the  inherent,  radical  wrongs 


EXHAUSTION  379 

of  the  whole  system  of  government,  the  wrong  and  fool- 
ishness of  all  war  and  violence ;  how  that,  as  at  the  begin- 
ning, God  made  everything  to  produce  after  its  kind,  so 
wars  and  hatreds  and  strifes  were  sure  to  reproduce  and 
multiply  themselves,  as  would  also  kindness  and  brotherly 
love. 

That  the  Messiah  would  be  God's  instrument  to  effect 
this  great  change  Jesus  believed  and  affirmed.  He  did 
not  assume  to  be  the  Messiah  himself:  he  had  not  yet 
arrived  at  that  point.  Jesus  did  not  forget  that  he  was 
a  Jew,  or  that  Nicodemus  was  a  Jew.  He  sustained  and 
proved  all  that  he  said  by  quoting  a  great  many  passages 
of  Scripture  which  Nicodemus,  unhke  those  with  whom 
Jesus  was,  being  learned  in  the  Law,  could  understand. 

With  a  sympathetic  and  appreciative  listener,  that  fiery 
enthusiasm  which  was  the  basis  of  Jesus'  character  blazed 
up,  and  he  became  eloquent.  Nicodemus  listened  to  him  in 
amazement.  For  the  moment  he  forgot  that  he  was  him- 
self one  of  the  class  whom  Jesus  denounced,  a  Pharisee,  a 
rich  man,  and  a  Sanhedrist.  As  a  Jew  he  could  not  but 
admit  the  cogency  of  Jesus'  reasoning  about  the  Messiah, 
and  as  a  philosopher  he  now  saw  clearly  what  probably  he 
had  long  dimly  perceived,  that  upon  the  one  great  ques- 
tion of  man's  relations  to  man  Jesus  was  inherently  right. 
Indeed,  from  the  standpoint  of  an  orthodox  Jew,  capable 
of  being  honest  with  himself,  simple  and  sincere,  the  so- 
called  Idealism  of  Jesus  became  a  system  of  irrefragable, 
iron-bound  Logic.  Nicodemus  saw  this,  and  was  con- 
vinced by  it.  Jesus  was  a  Philosopher,  reasoning  upon  a 
basis  of  Prophecy.  His  dreams,  if  dreams  they  were,  were 
the  realization  of  the  Prophet's  rapture. 

It  was  nearly  morning  when  Nicodemus  went  away. 
The  habitual  cautiousness  of  his  race  and  his  station  re- 
strained him  from  too  ardent  protestation,  but  he  felt  in 
his  heart  that  he  was  about  ready  to  become  a  Disciple. 
But  when  he  had  slept,  and  met  Rachel  next  day  at  dinner, 


380  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

he  answered  to  her  eager  questionings  that  Jesus  was 
indeed  "  sublime,"  but  alas !  "  impracticable."  Jesus 
understood  Nicodemus  perfectly.  He  had  seen  the  world 
enough  to  know  that  no  man  of  wealth  and  station  could 
be  expected  to  conform  to  the  requirement  and  forsake  all 
for  the  Cause, —  at  least  not  yet.  He  would  cast  in  the 
seed  faithfully,  boldly,  continuously,  and  in  every  place, 
trusting  absolutely  that  somewhere  in  God's  earth  it  would 
find  a  nidus  for  itself  and  bring  forth  and  multiply. 


XLI 
DEFECTION 

"  Nay,  might  it  not  even  seem  from  the  defection  of  Judas  as  if 
dissatisfaction  and  disbelief  had  begun  to  spread  in  the  innermost 
circle  of  Christ's  disciples  ?  " —  Edersheim. 

The  day  following  the  events  last  recorded  was  another 
of  strain  and  trial  which  Jesus  was  poorly  prepared  to 
meet.  Nights  without  sleep,  labors  manifold,  and  dangers 
threatening,  gave  him  a  look  so  haggard  and  care-worn 
that  poor  Mary,  when  she  brought  him  his  breakfast, 
could  hardly  repress  her  tears ;  but  she  tried  to  look  cheer- 
ful and  smiled  and  spoke  encouragingly  of  Nicodemus' 
visit  and  what  it  might  lead  to.  While  she  was  speaking 
the  twelve  disciples  and  the  women  came  into  the  tent. 
They  entered  rather  unceremoniously  and  with  loud  talk; 
but  when  they  looked  upon  Jesus'  haggard  face  and  met 
his  yet  calm  and  quiet  eye,  they  were  abashed,  and  gladly 
would  have  gone  out  again.  But  Jesus  detained  them,  and 
kindly  inquired  how  matters  stood. 

Peter,  more  bold  than  the  rest,  first  began  by  telling 
how  all  the  new  converts  had  fallen  away  and  gone  home, 
and  the  people  remaining  were  only  beggars  and  riff-raff 
who  stayed  out  of  curiosity  or  with  the  expectation  of 
being  fed.  Peter's  example  made  the  others  bolder,  and 
one  after  another,  and  at  last  almost  clamorously,  they  all 
added  instances  to  the  gloomy  details.  All  united  in  de- 
claring that,  now  they  no  longer  feared  the  People,  Herod's 
soldiers  were  certain  to  pounce  upon  them,  and  they  would 
all  share  the  fate  of  John.  Simon  the  Zealot  and  Judas 
Iscariot  grew  loud  in  denouncing  Jesus'  refusal  to  become 
king  when  the  crown  was  offered  him.  The  people  would 
have  risen,  they  said,  as  one  man  to  support  him  then,  while 

381 


382  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

now  they  must  all  flee  for  their  lives.  The  refusal  to  g^ive 
a  sign  to  the  Rabbis  from  Jerusalem  no  one  dared  to  speak 
about  openly,  but  it  was  in  every  one's  thoughts,  and  was 
obscurely  hinted  at  by  several. 

Jesus  allowed  them  to  go  on  without  making  any  answer. 
He  only  sat  still  and  looked  at  them:  but  there  was  a  re- 
buke in  his  quiet,  sad,  steadfast  gaze  which  was  more 
powerful  than  words,  and  they  all  began  to  be  ashamed 
and  at  last  became  silent.  Then  Jesus  spoke :  "  You  say 
that  all  the  disciples  and  the  people  have  deserted  us,  and 
that  Herod  has  sent  soldiers  to  take  us :  why  do  not  ye 
also  go  away?  I  would  have  no  man  abide  with  me 
against  his  will." 

Then  the  impetuous  Peter,  casting  himself  at  Jesus' 
feet,  cried  out,  expressing  shame  and  remorse.  "  And 
where,  indeed,  can  we  go !  "  he  said.  "  We  cannot  go  over 
to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  if  we  did,  they  would  not 
receive  us.  Many  of  us  were  the  disciples  of  John,  and 
now  of  thee.  We  are  too  well  known  to  escape,  and  I,  for 
one,  have  no  desire  to  leave  thee.  Thou  art  my  Lord  and 
Master.  I  will  not  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee,  though 
thou  be  cast  into  prison." 

These  generous  words  of  Peter  were  as  balm  to  the  sore 
heart  of  Jesus,  and  he  never  forgot  them.  He  remembered, 
too,  that  it  was  the  example  of  Peter,  more  than  aught  else, 
that  held  the  other  eleven  to  their  allegiance.  First  John 
and  then  James  followed  Peter  in  declaring  their  loj^alty, 
and  they  were  followed  shamefacedly  by  the  other  nine. 
The  women  also,  who  had  stood  modestly  in  the  back- 
ground, came  forward  with  protestations  and  tears,  Mary 
of  Magdala  alone  remaining  silent. 

After  some  further  questioning  and  consultation,  Jesus 
made  known  his  decision  to  flee  from  Herod  and  get  out 
of  his  dominions  as  soon  as  possible.  To  this  there  were 
some  strong  expressions  of  dissent.  Peter  and  several  of 
the  others  had  wives  and  children  who  were  in  a  destitute 


DEFECTION  383 

condition,  and  they  were  very  loath  to  become  exiles ;  and 
besides,  what  could  they  do  in  a  foreign  land  to  gain  a 
subsistence?  Numbers  of  them  were  fishermen  who  knew 
no  other  business. 

Then  Judas  gave  what  seemed  the  final  quietus  to  this 
scheme  by  stating  that  his  bag,  the  treasury  of  the  Brother- 
hood, was  empty.  He  went  on  to  state  that  with  all  the 
multitude  of  new  disciples  that  had  lately  joined  them,  the 
treasury  had  gained  nothing.  "  For,"  he  said  grum- 
blingly,  "  they  were  a  lot  of  ragamuffins  who  hardly  had  a 
shirt  to  their  backs,  and  to  whom  we  have  had  to  give  the 
bread  they  ate.  I  spent  our  last  penny  to  buy  bread  for 
them  yesterday  ;  and  now  where  are  they  ?  Those  that  re- 
main are  onl}'^  hanging  around  for  more  bread." 

It  was  a  sore  strait ;  and  to  Judas,  upon  whom  the  whole 
burden  of  their  worldly  affairs  rested,  who  provided  and 
dispensed,  made  bargains  and  paid  bills,  the  whole  affair 
began  to  appear  not  only  hopeless  but  almost  contemptible. 

"  I  don't  want  to  say  a  word,"  he  said,  "  to  discourage 
any  brother  or  sister,  but  it  does  seem  to  me  that  the  object 
aimed  at  and  the  means  used  in  our  case  are  ludicrously 
out  of  proportion.  We  talk  big  about  setting  up  a  New 
Kingdom  in  the  world,  more  magnificent  and  glorious 
than  any  before  known  ;  and  yet  here  we  are,  preparing 
to  flee  the  country  and  without  money  enough  to  buy  a 
loaf  of  bread." 

Judas  and  Simon  Zelotes  had  talked  this  matter  up 
among  the  disciples  the  night  before,  and  unless  Jesus 
could  be  induced  to  set  up  for  a  King,  and  so  gain  the 
active  support  of  the  Zealots  and  the  people  generally, 
they  favored  disbanding  entirely.  "  What  use,"  they  said, 
"  to  waste  ourselves  following  a  Leader  who  will  not  lead, 
who  wouldn't  even  resist  a  robber  or  return  a  blow.''  "  But 
here  again,  as  in  many  another  giddy  fight,  and  forlorn 
hope  in  world  history :  where  the  strong  men  have  palled, 
gone  backwards,  and  given  up,  the  poor,  weak  women  have 


384  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

seized  the  falling  banner  and  borne  it  forward  to  victory. 

All  the  women  present  except  Mary  of  Magdala,  tore  off 
their  ornaments  and  circlets  of  coins  and  threw  them  at 
Judas'  feet,  and  Joanna  and  Susanna  declared  that  means 
should  not  be  lacking.  Their  husbands  were  known  to  be 
rich,  and  their  declarations  were  received  with  credit. 

And  so  it  was  determined  to  give  up  the  cause  in  Galilee 
and  Judea  for  the  present,  and  get  out  of  the  dominions 
of  Herod  as  a  necessary  provision  of  safety. 


XLII 
IN  FLIGHT 

"  This  fleeing  also  exhibits  that  genuinely  human  character,  which 
consists  not  only  in  dread  of  death  like  the  rest  of  us,  but  also 
prudence,  discretion,  bravery,  both   in  attack  and  defense." —  Keim. 

It  being  decided  that  they  must  leave  their  own  country 
for  a  time,  the  question  at  once  arose,  whither,  and  by 
what  means.  Peter  and  some  of  the  bolder  ones,  as  Judas 
and  Simon  Zelotes,  with  the  notion  still  of  raising  an  army, 
strongly  favored  going  by  way  of  Damascus  to  the  dis- 
persed among  the  Gentiles,  to  Babylonia  and  the  East. 
None  of  them,  not  even  Jesus,  had  any  but  the  vaguest 
notions  of  conditions  in  thase  heathen  lands.  They  only 
knew  that  great  numbers  of  Jews  came  annually  from 
those  countries  to  the  Great  Feasts  at  Jerusalem,  and  Simon 
Zelotes  declared  that  they  were  all  Zealots  at  heart,  looking 
and  praying  for  the  time  to  come  when  they  could  return 
in  triumph  to  the  land  of  their  fathers.  Jesus  listened 
absently  to  these  arguments,  but  gave  no  decision.  "  We 
will  cross  the  lake,"  he  said,  "  into  the  dominions  of  Philip, 
and  there  have  time  to  consider." 

With  their  scant  supply  of  money  they  could  hardly 
afford  to  hire  boats  at  INIagdala  or  Terichea  to  take  them 
across,  and  so  decided  to  go  to  the  home  of  Peter  and 
James  and  John,  and  try  to  get  boats  of  Zebedee  or  Jonas. 
The  humiliation  of  such  a  proceeding  was  extreme,  but 
there  appeared  no  other  way.  And  so  the  little  company, 
consisting  of  Jesus  and  the  twelve  only,  with  the  women, 
proceeded  with  what  speed  they  could  on  foot  to  Beth- 
saida. 

The  news  of  their  defeat  and  humiliation  by  the  Jeru- 
salem Rabbis  had  preceded  them,  and  they  got  a  very  sour 

385 


386  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

reception  from  Zebedee  and  Jonas ;  even  Salome,  discour- 
aged and  worn  as  she  was,  and  overawed  by  Zebedee's  stern 
and  reproachful  eye,  appeared  ashamed  and  was  silent. 
Jesus  himself  did  not  appear  at  all  among  his  old-time 
friends  while  the  disciples  were  seeking  for  means  of 
passage,  but  wandered  off  along  the  lake  shore,  solitary, 
musing,  buried  in  his  own  thoughts.  Zebedee  and  Jonas 
were  together  overhauling  their  nets  when  their  sons  came. 
They  had  been  talking  over  the  situation,  and  were  ready 
for  a  pretty  strong  expression  of  their  views. 

"  We  think  it  is  time  you  fellows  gave  up  this  wild-goose 
chase  and  came  back  to  work,"  Zebedee  said.  "  It  really 
looks  as  though  you  were  all  crazy,  possessed  of  the 
Devil.  Why,  just  look  at  it!  You  have  sold  and  spent 
all  you  had,  and  to-day  you  haven't  a  penny  in  your 
pocket  nor  a  friend  in  the  world,  and  are  flying  for  your 
lives  for  fear  Herod  will  get  you.  I'll  wager  you  haven't 
money  enough  in  your  whole  company  to  hire  a  boat  to 
cross  the  lake,  and  that's  why  you  came  to  us.  But  you 
can't  have  any  of  our  boats  —  set  that  down !  We've 
made  up  our  minds  not  to  do  any  more  for  you  fellows  till 
you  have  got  all  done  with  this  folly  and  are  ready  to 
settle  down  to  business." 

While  Zebedee  was  speaking,  Peter's  wife  came,  leading 
two  little  children  by  the  hand,  and  they  all  cast  them- 
selves at  Peter's  feet  and  besought  him  to  come  home  to 
them.  Peter  and  all  present  were  deeply  moved.  Perhaps 
Jesus  liimself,  if  he  could  see  and  know,  might  be  induced 
to  give  up.  After  some  consultation  it  was  decided  that 
Peter  and  James  and  John  should  go  and  talk  with  Jesus 
about  it. 

When  they  came  near  where  Jesus  was,  they  saw  him 
sitting  on  the  shore,  looking  out  over  the  waters  of  the 
lake  and  so  absorbed  in  thought  that  he  did  not  notice 
their  near  approach.  After  lingering,  doubtful  and 
troubled  for  some  time,  they  went  back  without  speaking 


IN  FLIGHT  387 

to  Jesus :  they  could  not  meet  his  eye  with  such  a 
message, 

Peter  took  his  wife  aside  and  besought  her  to  have  pa- 
tience and  wait  a  little  longer,  for,  as  he  told  her,  he 
still  felt  sure  that  the  New  Kingdom  was  at  hand,  when 
they  would  be  repaid  a  thousandfold  for  all  their  dreary 
waiting. 

Then  they  went  and  took  an  old,  abandoned  boat  that 
belonged  to  Philip,  and  with  much  labor  and  skill  fixed 
it  up  so  they  dared  to  use  it.  It  was  anything  but  a  joy- 
ful company  that  took  ship  that  day  from  Bethsaida  for 
the  other  side.  No  one  bade  them  good-bye  or  God  speed ; 
but  Peter's  wife  and  children,  with  Jesus'  mother  and  Doris, 
Mary  of  INIagdala,  and  the  wife  of  Philip,  who  had  also 
come,  stood  far  off  weeping.  Jesus  saw  it  all,  and  his  set 
face  took  on  a  sternness  of  aspect  that  filled  the  disciples 
with  a  vague  awe  and  hushed  them  into  silence.  If  they 
spoke  to  one  another  it  was  in  low  tones. 

It  was  nearly  night  when  the  company  at  last  embarked, 
going  out  into  the  night  towards  strange  lands  and  so 
poorly  provided  for.  As  they  pushed  out,  the  sun  was 
setting  like  a  ball  of  fire  behind  the  Galilean  hills ;  its  red 
light  reflected  from  the  bare  rock  walls  of  the  farther 
side  made  the  lake  red  like  blood.  Far  to  the  north,  old 
Hermon's  everlasting  snows  glowed  crimson,  and  all  the 
air  was  tinged  incarnadine.  While  the  disciples  rowed, 
Jesus  stood  in  the  stem  of  the  boat,  gazing  intently  upon 
the  receding  shores.  There  behind  them  lay  spread  out 
the  scene  of  all  his  joys  and  sorrows,  his  labors  and  trials. 
All  the  cities  and  -vallages  that  lined  the  lake  shore  from 
Tiberias  to  Capernaum  were  in  view, —  the  marble  palaces 
of  priestly  Sadducces  beside  the  fishermen's  squalid  huts, 
stately  synagogues  and  heathen  temples  amid  palm  and 
orange  trees  and  olive  groves,  and  far  above  and  beyond, 
now  clothed  in  shadow,  his  native  hills  of  Cana  and  of 
Nazareth.     It  was  the  land  of  his  birth,  the  land  that  he 


388  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

loved:  it  contained  all  that  thus  far  he  had  wrought  and 
struggled  for. 

But  Galilee  had  rejected  him!  Galilee  had  thrust  him 
out  into  exile !  Not  even  the  mother  or  sister,  whom  he 
loved,  could  see  in  him  aught  better  than  a  renegade  or 
a  lunatic ;  and  the  disciples,  who  were  laboring  unwillingly 
at  the  oars,  were  grumbling,  and  some  even  swearing,  in 
sullen  discontent. 

It  was  a  bitter  hour.  Jesus  stood  long  watching  the 
receding  shores  grow  dim,  till  the  rosy  hue  of  sea  and  sky 
had  changed  to  blackness,  and  the  stars  came  out.  Then 
he  turned  and  sat  down  and  began  to  speak.  His  voice 
was  so  deep  and  sad,  so  thrilling  with  subdued  emotion, 
that  the  rowers  held  their  oars  suspended  and  listened,  while 
the  boat  drifted  with  the  gentle  wind. 

"  The  love  of  home  and  kindred,"  he  said,  "  is  good  and 
beautiful.  It  is  in  the  ground-plan  of  the  world.  The 
good  time  predicted  by  the  prophets  of  old  was  when  every 
man  should  sit  under  his  own  vine  and  under  his  own  fig 
tree,  with  his  family  about  him  and  none  to  make  him 
afraid.  And  this  is  in  part,  the  Kingdom  of  God  for 
which  we  strive, —  but  not  for  ourselves.  Until  the  King- 
dom of  God  shall  indeed  come,  there  must  ever  be  those  who 
labor  and  strive  and  suffer  that  others  may  enter  into  their 
labors. 

"  It  has  ever  been  so,  from  Moses  and  the  prophets  to 
the  present  hour.  We  thought  we  had  done  much  when  we 
gave  up  all  our  goods  and  possessions ;  but  now  we  know 
that  was  but  a  little.  The  thing  itself  for  which  we  strive 
we  must  give  up  for  ourselves,  that  others  may  enjoy.  We 
go  forth  sowing  the  seed  weeping,  that  others  may  reap 
rejoicing.  We  have  put  our  hand  to  the  plow:  we  must 
not  look  back.  Remember  Lot's  wife.  No  man  is  worthy 
in  this  cause  who  cannot  give  all,  not  only  houses  and 
lands,  wife  and  children  and  father  and  mother,  but  his 
own  life  also.     Yea,"  he  added,  almost  bitterly,  "  if  a  man 


IN  FLIGHT  389 

hate  not  his  father  and  mother  and  wife  and  cliildren  and 
brothers  and  sisters  and  his  own  hfe  also,  he  cannot  be  as 
I  am :  he  cannot  be  my  disciple." 

For  a  time  Jesus  remained  silent,  looking  towards  the 
sky,  where,  through  the  pure,  clear  air,  the  constellations 
blazed  with  a  splendor  unknown  to  western  lands.  By 
their  light  shining  on  his  upturned  face,  the  disciples  could 
see  its  expression ;  and  John,  by  a  motion,  called  Peter's 
attention,  and  they  both  saw  what  seemed  to  them  a  heav- 
enly brightness  about  his  head. 

At  length  Jesus  began  again,  but  in  a  manner  so  ab- 
sorbed and  rapt  that  the  disciples  were  awed  and  in  fear. 
"  And  I  see  the  new  Jerusalem  come  down  from  Heaven, 
and  the  Son  of  ]Man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  Power, 
and  the  holy  Angels  with  Him;  and  there  is  judgment  and 
fiery  indignation  for  the  wicked,  and  all  the  proud,  the 
haughty,  the  unjust  flee  away  and  call  upon  the  mountains 
to  cover  them  and  the  hills  to  fall  upon  them.  But  a  blast 
from  the  Lord  goeth  out  after  them  and  consumeth  them 
as  stubble ;  and  the  thorn  and  the  thistle  grow  up  on  their 
altars,  and  the  sin  of  Israel  is  destroyed.  And  now  is 
there  a  new  Heaven  and  a  new  Earth,  and  all  things  are 
restored  as  at  the  beginning. 

"  And  I  see  the  New  Kingdom  of  God,  as  it  were  an 
Eden  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  Earth.  And  there  is  no 
more  any  sea,  nor  any  night ;  for  the  Glory  of  God  doth 
lighten  it.  And  there  is  no  more  any  war  or  contention, 
no  sorrow  or  tears,  for  all  men  live  together  as  children  of 
God.  And  there  is  no  hunger  or  thirst  or  cold  or  weari- 
ness, for  God  doth  feed  them  like  the  ravens  and  clothe 
them  like  the  lilies." 

Jesus  ceased  speaking,  and  after  a  time  the  disciples 
silently  resumed  their  oars.  Jesus  la}'  down  in  the  stem 
of  the  boat,  with  his  head  on  a  pillow  which  Mary  Magda- 
lene liad  thrust  into  the  hand  of  John  at  the  last  moment. 
The  place  and  the  situation  were  very  unsuitable  for  lying 


390  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

down,  but  in  his  extreme  exhaustion  Jesus  fell  asleep  at 
once.  The  night  hitherto  had  been  very  beautiful.  But 
no  sooner  had  Jesus  lain  down  than  the  experienced  eye  of 
Peter  detected  a  change.  First  a  slight  chill  in  the  air, 
then  a  thin,  gauzy  mist  appeared,  creeping  along  the  face 
of  the  water,  followed  by  little  puffs  of  cold  wind  from  the 
northeast. 

Peter  gave  the  alarm  at  once,  and  urged  his  companions 
to  row  with  all  their  might.  It  was  none  too  soon,  for  a 
half  hour  later  so  deep  a  darkness  fell  upon  the  lake  that 
they  could  see  nothing,  and  they  were  lost,  not  knowing 
where  to  steer.  Then  suddenly,  with  an  awful  roar,  a 
hurricane  from  Lebanon  and  the  Hauran  was  upon  them. 
They  were  nearly  upset  by  the  first  onset,  but  being  all 
experienced  boatmen,  they  managed  to  get  righted  at  last, 
and  then  found  that  the  rotton  old  boat  was  leaking  fright- 
fully, and  the  waves  coming  in  over  the  sides.  There  was 
almost  a  panic  for  a  moment,  but  Peter  quieted  them ;  and 
with  two  men  set  to  bailing  and  the  rest  at  the  oars, 
they  turned  the  boat's  prow  towards  shore.  This  they 
could  now  do,  for  tempests  such  as  the  one  now  upon 
them  they  well  knew  never  came  except  from  one  way ;  and 
so,  by  the  direction  of  the  wind,  they  knew  where  lay  the 
nearest  shore. 

But  being  obliged  thus  to  row  directly  against  the  wind, 
they  made  very  little  progress,  and  at  last,  with  the  wind 
increasing  and  the  darkness  no  less  dense,  they  began  to 
grow  confused  and  to  imagine  that  the  wind  had  changed, 
and  they  began  to  dispute  with  one  another ;  some  said  one 
thing  and  some  another,  and  some  insisted  that  they  should 
turn  about  and  go  in  the  opposite  direction  from  their 
present  course.  They  were  nearly  all  fishermen,  and,  like 
fishermen,  had  many  superstitious  notions  about  storms  and 
winds  and  waters ;  and  now  in  this  extreme  peril  of  their 
lives  they  recalled  all  the  weird  stories  they  had  ever  heard 
old  men  tell  around  the  camp  fires  at  night,  of  Demons, 


IN  FLIGHT  391 

Wraiths,  and  Shedlm,  who  not  only  called  up  storms  but 
held  ships  immovable  against  both  sail  and  oar,  and  then 
either  dashed  them  in  pieces  on  the  rocks  or  dragged  them 
down  to  their  mysterious  habitations  beneath  the  sea. 

John,  who  had  often  heard  such  tales  told  by  his  grand- 
father Joazer,  was  the  first  to  advance  this  notion  of  their 
being  held  by  the  Storm  Demon ;  but  it  appeared  that  it 
was  already  vaguely  in  the  minds  of  all,  and  believing 
themselves  enchanted,  some  threw  down  their  oars  and  were 
going  to  cast  themselves  into  the  sea.  But  Peter,  more 
calm  than  the  rest,  besought  them  to  stand  by  the  oars  till 
he  should  call  up  the  ]\Iaster,  who  was  older  than  any  of 
them  and  knew  the  lake  well,  and  whose  power  over  all 
Demons  was  well  known. 

Jesus,  through  all  this  noise  and  confusion,  the  roar  of 
the  storm,  the  rattle  and  bang  of  bailing  and  the  sound 
of  oars,  had  slept  on,  and  when  awakened  by  Peter  was 
not  excited  or  fearful.  He  asked  about  how  long  they  had 
been  rowing,  and  if  they  had  kept  all  the  time  straight 
towards  the  wind;  and  then  he  told  them  to  keep  steadily 
on  and  be  not  afraid,  for  they  would  be  at  land,  he  said, 
presently.  Almost  at  once  they  felt  the  wind  abating  and 
the  waves  becoming  less  boisterous ;  for  though  they  could 
yet  see  nothing  and  knew  not  where  they  were,  they  had 
come  where  the  high  land  of  the  shore  protected  them  from 
the  wind,  and  the  waves,  being  wrought  only  from  the 
shore  outwards,  had  not  space  to  gain  head. 

Rowing  now  with  good  courage,  they  were  almost  imme- 
diately at  the  land,  and  drew  their  boat  up  on  the  sand. 
It  was  a  narrow  escape,  and  many  of  the  disciples  looked 
upon  it  as  a  miracle.  It  was  still  very  dark,  and  a  long 
time  till  day ;  so  they  turned  the  boat  over,  and  all  creeping 
under  it  and  disposing  themselves  as  best  they  could,  they 
slept  till  morning 

There  was  a  way  Jesus  had  of  talking,  partly  to  himself 
and  yet  also  to  his  disciples,  that  often  led  to  misunder- 


392  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

standings.  After  thinking  over  some  subject  or  point  pro- 
foundly, perhaps  all  night  or  during  his  solitary  walks 
abroad,  he  would  suddenly  begin  speaking  on  that  subject 
to  the  disciples  as  if  they  were,  like  himself,  already 
familiar  with  it,  when  in  fact  they  had  no  idea  of  what  he 
was  talking  about.  Then  again  the  natural  tendency  of 
his  mind  was  so  strong  to  speak  in  parables  and  to  use  alle- 
gorical figures  that  the  dull  minds  of  his  disciples  often 
could  not  follow  him.  Jesus  had  always  been  somewhat 
this  way,  and  the  habit  was  growing  upon  him. 

While  Jesus  lay  cramped  under  the  old  boat,  he  had 
found  it  impossible  to  sleep,  and  he  had  been  thinking  of 
the  causes  that  had  led  to  his  rejection  by  the  people  and 
how  easily  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  had  influenced  them  to 
fall  back  into  old  ways  and  old  beliefs.  Then  that  thought 
about  his  mother's  leaven  came  now,  as  ever  after,  as  the 
surest  consolation.  The  truth,  he  thought,  was  like  the 
leaven:  though  it  was  buried  and  hid  in  the  meal,  it  was 
all  the  time  doing  its  work ;  it  would  finally  permeate  the 
whole  mass.  But  then  again  —  direful  thought !  —  there 
was  a  kind  of  leaven  of  evil  also,  that  of  the  Pharisees, 
which  he  had  seen  working  but  now,  and  whose  powerful 
effects  they  were  then  experiencing.  That,  too,  seemed 
capable  of  penetrating  everywhere  and  of  leavening  the 
whole  lump, 

Jesus  had  been  turning  this  over  and  over  in  his  mind, 
and  so  this  morning,  when  they  crawled  out  from  under  the 
old  boat,  lame  and  stiff  and  hungry,  Jesus  began  at  once 
to  talk  about  Leaven.  Leaven  of  the  Pharisees:  they 
couldn't  imagine  anything  else  he  could  mean  but  to  rebuke 
them  for  not  having  anything  provided  to  eat.  To  be 
sure,  they  had  fled  away  in  haste  and  fear,  but  there  were 
good  women  enough  who  would  have  given  them  bread  if 
they  had  asked  for  it,  and  they  felt  ashamed. 

Judas,  whose  business  it  was  to  buy  the  provisions, 
offered  to  go  and  try  to  find  something;  but  Jesus  said, 


IN  FLIGHT  393 

No,  he  had  bread  to  eat  that  they  knew  not  of;  and  this 
again,  was  a  mysterious  saying  that  aroused  much  conjec- 
ture among  the  disciples,  and  whispered  consultations. 
They  began  to  see  every  day  and  hour  something  to  sep- 
arate their  loved  companion  and  Master  more  and  more 
from  them,  and  to  enshroud  him  in  a  deeper  mystery. 
Where  could  he  have  got  bread  to  eat  that  they  knew 
not  of! 

The  disciples  already  had  a  very  lively  sense  of  Jesus' 
power,  especially  over  the  much  dreaded  demons  who  pos- 
sessed people,  and  now  he  had  shown  it  in  rebuking  the 
Wraiths  and  Shedim  of  the  sea.  Then  the  growing  mys- 
teriousness  of  his  talk  impressed  them  powerfully.  It  was 
like  the  Scripture:  every  word  and  letter  of  which  the 
Rabbis  said,  meant  a  hundred  thousand  different  things. 
Jesus  had  grown  to  speak  almost  wholly  in  parables  and 
enigmatical  language  that  he  seldom  explained,  and  the 
disciples,  with  their  oriental  imaginations  inflamed  by  life- 
long dwelling  on  extravagant  expectations,  let  their  hopes 
and  fears  be  their  interpreters,  and  oftentimes  arrived  at 
conclusions  that  sorely  tried  the  patience  of  the  Master. 

Furthermore,  during  this  flight  into  a  foreign  land, 
Jesus'  habit  of  going  alone  into  thickets  and  waste  places 
began  to  be  more  a  subject  of  dark  and  mysterious  specu- 
lation with  the  Twelve.  Sometimes  without  any  apparent 
cause  Jesus  would  absent  himself  and  be  gone  a  whole 
night,  to  come  back  so  wasted  and  hollow-eyed  as  to  show 
that  he  had  not  slept.  None  dared  to  follow  him  at  such 
times ;  but  they  began  to  feel  sure  that,  like  ]\Ioses  and 
Elijah,  he  had  direct  communication  with  the  spirit  world 
and  the  great  of  old. 

After  wandering  about  in  a  desolate  and  barren  country 
where  they  saw  no  one  but  some  miserable  swineherds  tend- 
ing swine,  and  had  nothing  to  eat  but  some  husks  from 
the  Karob  tree,  such  as  were  fed  to  the  swine,  they  decided 
to  turn  their  steps  northwards  and  take  refuge  in  that  last 


394  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

resort  of  robbers  and  outlaws,  the  inaccessible  fastnesses 
of  Lebanon.  It  was  a  trial  not  only  of  faith  but  of  pluck 
and  perseverance  such  as  the  disciples  had  not  before  ex- 
perienced, and  when  Jesus  announced  his  plan  there  were 
murmuring  and  black  looks  that  threatened  to  break  up  the 
band.      It  was  indeed  a  hard  case. 

Heretofore,  in  all  their  wanderings  they  had  not  only 
been  abundantly  supplied  with  all  that  they  needed,  but  the 
women,  who  were  always  with  them,  cooked  and  washed  and 
mended,  administering  to  all  their  wants,  after  the  manner 
of  women.  They  had  also  supplied  Judas'  bag  with 
money,  and  furnished  tents  and  other  material.  Now  they 
had  all  these  things  to  do  for  themselves,  and  their  supply 
of  money  was  very  scant,  for  the  circlets  of  coins  and  other 
ornaments  offered  by  the  women  Jesus  had  not  allowed 
Judas  to  take. 

After  a  few  days  of  this  homeless,  wandering  life,  sleep- 
ing on  the  ground  and  cooking  what  little  food  they  got 
over  smoking  fires,  they  became  very  dirty  and  grimy,  and 
looked  more  like  robbers  than  decent  people.  The  disciples 
did  not  so  much  mind  this  for  themselves,  because  they 
were  all  used  to  a  rough  life ;  but  when  they  saw  Jesus 
forgetful  of  appearances,  growing  more  rusty  and  un- 
kempt each  day,  they  were  stirred  with  a  sense  of  unfitness 
that  was  quite  painful.  To  see  this  immaculate  one, 
whose  very  presence  imposed  silence  and  reverential  awe, 
with  soiled  garments,  uncombed  locks,  and  unwashed 
hands,  gnawing  at  a  crust  of  black  bread  and  broiling  a 
bony  little  fish  over  a  smoky  fire,  was  at  first  shocking. 
Gradually  they  grew  accustomed  to  it ;  but,  unconsciously 
with  the  most  of  them,  their  respect  for  Jesus  had  di- 
minished: he  was  brought  down  from  his  pedestal,  and 
was  again  as  one  of  themselves. 

Only  to  Peter,  James,  and  John  did  he  remain  the 
supreme  arbiter  of  souls  that  he  had  ever  been.  This 
journey  or  flight  was  the  real  turning  point  in  the  career 


IN  FLIGHT  395 

of  Jesus.  Upon  it  hinges  all  subsequent  events ;  by  this 
thread  hangs  the  fate  of  the  world.  That  the  crisis  was 
upon  him,  Jesus  himself  felt  fully,  and  the  disciples  less 
clearly, —  but  in  their  own  dull  wa^',  as  truly.  To  es- 
cape to  Lebanon  or  the  morasses  of  Merom  could  be  only 
a  temporary  expedient.  To  do  his  work,  to  accomplish 
his  mission,  Jesus  knew  full  well  he  must  face  the  world, 
and  to  relinquish  or  give  up  was  not  in  the  possibilities 
of  his  nature.  What  he  ought  to  do,  that  he  must  do, 
in  the  face  of  any  difficulty  or  danger :  his  very  genius 
compelled  him  to  it.  The  only  question  was,  what  ought 
he  to  do  now! 

While  Jesus  was  pondering  these  things  the  disciples 
were  also  thinking  and  arguing  among  themselves.  One 
night,  when  they  were  camped  by  the  lake  INIerom,  there 
was  a  discussion  among  the  disciples.  Jesus  had  gone 
off  alone,  and  there  was  freedom  of  speech  such  as  was 
not  indulged  in  when  he  was  present.  It  was  a  very 
solitary  place.  The  great  marsh  in  which  the  lake  is 
situated  stretched  out  around  them  for  miles,  uninhab- 
ited by  aught  but  watcr-buffalos,  wild  animals,  and  water 
fowl.  They  had  a  small  fire  of  sticks  they  had  gathered 
and  brought  as  they  came  along,  and  were  cooking  a 
pot  of  mallows  for  their  supper.  These  they  had  also 
gathered,  growing  wild,  as  they  came  along.  They  were 
all  young  fellows,  Peter  being  the  oldest,  and  like  young 
soldiers  in  bivouac,  thej'^  must  have  their  joke. 

Nathaniel  was  trying  to  roast  a  small  fish  he  had  caught 
by  holding  it  in  the  fire  on  the  end  of  a  reed.  There  was 
very  little  wind,  but  that  little  seemed  to  come  from  all 
directions,  first  from  one  way  and  tlicn  from  another,  so 
that  Nathaniel,  though  changing  his  position  often  from 
one  side  of  the  fire  to  the  other,  yet  seemed  to  get  the 
smoke  constantly  in  his  eyes.  At  last,  almost  smothered 
and  with  eyes  blinded  by  a  fresh  blast  of  the  pungent 
fumes,  he  lost  his  fish  in  the  fire,  and  turned  away  to  catch 


396  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

liis  breath  with  an  angry  exclamation  that  sounded  very 
much  hke  an  oath,  such  as  they  all  used  to  indulge  in  about 
the  fishing-fires  of  Gennesaret. 

There  was  a  general  laugh  at  Nathaniel's  expense,  and 
Thomas,  the  joker,  in  his  grim  way  remarked,  "  Nat, 
thou  art  thinking  too  much  of  that  pretty  wife  of  yours 
and  the  children  playing  under  the  fig-trees  at  Cana,  for 
you  to  make  a  good  Ishmaelite." 

"  Ishmaelite  indeed !  By  Usiel  and  Samchassi,  we  might 
better  be  Ishmaelites  than  beggars  and  vagabonds,  skulk- 
ing around  in  swamps  and  desert  places,"  retorted  Na- 
thaniel, wiping  the  tears  from  his  eyes  with  a  grimy 
hand. 

"  Hut,  tut !  "  warned  Peter,  somewhat  sternly.  "  What 
would  the  Master  say  if  he  heard  you  swear  like  that !  " 

"  Well,  it  isn't  for  you  to  rebuke  me,"  answered 
Nathaniel,  rather  tartly.  "  It  was  only  yesterday  I  heard 
the  Master  bringing  you  up  rather  sharply  for  swearing. 
You  are  the  worst  one  in  the  lot." 

Peter  hung  his  head  and  said  no  more,  and  John  mildly 
interposed.  "  It  is  less  sin  even  to  swear,  brother,  than  to 
quarrel,"  he  said.  "  You  know  what  the  Master  tells  us 
over  and  over  again,  that  without  brotherly  love  there  is 
no  Kingdom  of  God  for  us." 

"  Kingdom  of  God !  "  echoed  Judas  Iscariot.  "  This 
looks  a  lot  like  the  Kingdom  of  God.  I,  for  one,  am 
getting  about  sick  of  it.  I  don't  mind  the  hard  fare,  nor 
living  in  swamps  and  desert  places.  I  didn't  find  fault 
with  that  when  I  was  with  Jacobus  in  his  caves ;  but 
what  I  want  is  to  see  some  use,  some  good  in  it.  Are  we 
abandoning  the  whole  thing,  giving  up  for  good  and 
all?  If  so,  let's  say  so,  and  go  about  our  business:  if 
not,  why,  we've  got  to  face  the  truth  finally,  and  the 
quicker  the  better.  We've  already  thrown  away  the  best 
chance  we'll  ever  have:  I  don't  believe  there'll  ever  be  an- 
other time  when  there'll  be  so  many  people  ready  to  fight 


IN  FLIGHT  397 

for  us  as  there  were  the  other  day  when  they  were  all  so 
eager  to  make  Jesus  King." 

Simon  Zelotes  and  several  others  expressed  approval  of 
this  last  remark  of  Judas,  and  even  Peter,  though  inclined 
to  be  silent,  when  directly  appealed  to  by  Judas,  said, 
"  Yes,  I  have  felt  that  way  myself.  It  seemed  to  me  as 
though  the  time  to  come  out  boldly  and  raise  the  standard 
was  then ;  but  now  let  me  tell  you  all,  my  brothers,  Jesus 
knozvs  best.  He  doesn't  tell  us  all  he  knows  and  thinks, 
and  we  have  got  to  trust  him  absolutely.  And  hasn't  it 
always  been  so?  The  prophets  and  men  of  God  weren't 
well  understood  in  their  day.  The  people  scoffed  at  them, 
and  kings  tried  to  kill  them ;  but  they  were  always  right. 
And  so  it  is  now,  only  more  so ;  for  I  tell  you  now  what  I 
have  finally  made  up  my  mind  is  true,  that  our  Jesus  is 
a  greater  than  any  of  the  prophets, —  that  he  is  the  Messiah 
of  God." 

Peter  pronounced  these  last  words  with  a  solemn  em- 
phasis, and  ceased  speaking.  For  some  time  there  was 
silence.  Then  John,  and  after  him  James,  declared  them- 
selves as  believing  the  same  as  Peter.  Then  Simon  Zelotes 
spoke. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  he  said,  "  how  you  can  see  the 
Messiah  in  Jesus.  To  be  sure,  he  is  a  man  sent  of  God, 
as  we  all  believe.  But  the  Messiah,  as  my  father  always 
said,  would  first  appear  in  a  mysterious  way,  coming  from 
no  one  knows  where.  He  is  to  show  signs  and  wonders  on 
earth  and  in  the  sky.  A  rainbow  is  to  span  the  whole 
earth  and  fill  it  with  light  like  the  sun.  He  will  com- 
mand the  sun  and  the  moon  like  Joshua,  and  call  down  the 
lightnings  like  Elijah.  But  our  Jesus  is  not  so.  We 
know  whence  he  came.  We  have  known  him  from  a  boy 
up,  and  he  gives  no  signs  such  as  the  Messiah  is  to  give." 

No  one  spoke  at  first  in  reply  to  this  speech  of  Simon's, 
for  they  had  no  answer  to  it.  At  last  John  said,  rather 
faintly,  "  Jesus  has  shown  some  signs ;  he  has  done  some 


398  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

things  that  none  but  a  prophet  could  do.  We  have  all 
seen  how  he  has  cast  out  devils  and  healed  people  of 
diseases." 

John  was  immediately  taken  up  by  Judas,  who  said, 
"  Surely  he  has  done  these  things,  and  no  one  denies  that 
he  has  power  from  God;  but  being  the  Messiah  is  another 
thing,  and  that  is  what  we  are  arguing  about.  And  then 
his  miracles  of  healing  are  no  greater  than  what  are  re- 
ported of  Simon  Magus  of  Samaria,  and  many  of  our 
Rabbis  have  done  greatet  things  than  these." 

Again  a  pause,  no  one  finding  a  ready  answer  to  Judas. 
Finally  John  remarked,  weakly  enough,  that  Jesus  had 
promised  that  if  they  had  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  they  could  any  of  them  pluck  up  a  mountain  by  the 
roots  and  hurl  it  into  the  sea.  To  which  Judas'  answer 
was  prompt.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  heard  him  say  that, 
but  I  haven't  seen  anybody  doing  it,  have  you?  " 

There  were  signs  of  disapproval  in  several  at  this 
harsh  speech  of  Judas,  and  Peter  admonished  him :  "  If 
we  have  not  yet  learned  to  move  mountains,  brother  Judas, 
we  have  learned  that  kind  words  are  better  than  harsh 
ones :  let  us  not  f  orset." 


XLIII 
UNFOLDING 

"  But  whom  say  ye,  that  I  am !    Peter,  answering,  said.  The  Christ 
of  God."—  Luke  ix-20. 

These  flights  of  Jesus,  of  which  this  we  are  describing 
was  the  fourth  and  last,  were  not  from  servile  fear  on  the 
part  of  Jesus:  they  were  measures  of  wise  precaution. 
Not  only  was  the  time  not  yet  ripe  for  the  final  death 
grapple  with  the  Priestly  Hierarchy,  but  Jesus  had  not 
himself  come  to  maturity.  There  were  many  questions  he 
had  not  yet  settled  in  his  own  mind.  There  had  been 
suggestions  and  hints  that  in  various  ways  had  led  him  to 
think  of  himself  as  the  Messiah ;  but  there  was,  as  yet,  no 
clearness. 

At  first  he  had  rejected  the  idea  as  preposterous  and 
impossible ;  but  in  one  way  and  another  it  was  continually 
thrust  upon  him,  and  the  idea  having  once  found  lodg- 
ment in  his  mind,  by  law  of  nature  it  had  to  grow.  The 
more  he  thought  of  it,  the  more  he  became  convinced  that 
it  was  true.  He  began  to  study  the  Scripture  with  ref- 
erence to  it,  and  he  was  astonished  to  find  in  both  Moses 
and  the  prophets  so  much  to  confirm  the  idea  of  his  own 
Messiahship.  Then  a  message  from  John  in  prison 
showed  that  he,  too,  had  thought  of  it. 

Everything  seemed  to  point  that  way.  Then  as  to 
miracles  and  the  redemption  of  Israel,  the  Messiah  truly 
was  to  perform  miracles  and  he  was  to  redeem  Israel. 
Jesus  had  not  yet  regarded  himself  as  a  miracle-worker. 
He  had  given  great  relief  to  many  sufferers  by  the  om- 
nipotence of  sympathy  and  love  and  a  power  within  him 
that  he  knew  not, —  a  power  which  he  likened  to  the  wind 
that  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest  the  sound 

399 


400  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

thereof  (seest  the  effect)  but  canst  not  tell  whence  it 
Cometh  nor  whither  it  goeth.  Then  the  redemption  of 
Israel, —  that  would  come  in  due  course,  in  God's  good 
time  and  way.  The  thing  now  to  consider  and  decide  was, 
in  what  character  should  he  pursue  the  great  object  in 
view.  Should  he  re-enter  Galilee,  assuming  no  higher 
character  than  that  of  a  teacher  come  from  God,  such  as 
he  had  originally  chosen,  or  was  it  now  necessary  to  strike 
out  more  boldly  and,  aiming  as  he  did  at  the  highest, 
audaciously  challenge  the  Powers  of  the  world  by  taking 
to  himself  the  title  of  the  Highest,  the  Messiah  of  God? 

In  thinking  and  praying  over  these  things,  as  he  did 
constantly,  spending  many  nights  in  agony  of  spirit, 
wrestling  with  it  in  solitude,  with  no  human  creature  to 
whom  he  could  go  for  counsel,  he  did  not  forget  that  his 
mission  thus  far  seemed  a  failure.  Only  one  human  crea- 
ture in  all  the  world  in  any  measure  understood  him,  and 
that  a  poor  homeless  outcast  like  himself,  and  —  a 
woman.  As  prophet  and  teacher  and  man  of  God,  the 
people  had  rejected  him.  There  was  nothing  to  be  hoped 
for  from  them  unless  under  changed  conditions.  He 
knew,  also,  that  many,  if  not  all,  of  his  chosen  disciples 
were  dissatisfied  and  rebellious, —  their  loyalty  hung  as 
by  a  thread. 

The  next  night  after  leaving  lake  Merom,  Jesus  and  the 
disciples  camped  in  a  little  wild  vale  where  a  riAoilet  of 
pure,  cool  water  came  dashing  down  from  one  of  the  spurs 
of  Hermon.  It  was  a  delightful  retreat,  and  with  a  good 
fire  and  plenty  to  eat  they  all  enjoyed  it  greatly.  They 
had  passed  through  a  very  fruitful  country  that  day, 
and  ancient  custom  allowing  it,  they  had  gathered  of 
grains  and  fruit  enough  to  have  what  seemed  a  feast, 
after  their  long  privations. 

The  scene  and  all  connected  with  it  was  very  different 
from  that  of  the  night  before.  To  these  3^oung  fishermen 
this    Gipsy    life    was    very    agreeable    when    their    animal 


UNFOLDING  401 

wants  were  well  supplied.  Every  day  now  they  saw 
something  new  and  strange.  They  had  that  day  come  in 
sight  of  temples  and  palaces  far  up  on  the  mountain 
side,  near  where  Caesarea  Philippi  lay  hid  behind  cliffs  and 
woods.  Though  anciently  a  possession  of  Israel,  the 
country  was  now  wholly  heathen,  and  everywhere  were 
votive  tablets  and  statues  of  heathen  gods.  At  the  mouth 
of  the  little  ravine  where  they  were  camped  were  niches 
in  a  wall  of  rock  filled  with  marble  Naiads  and  Satyrs  of 
the  woods. 

They  had  built  their  camp-fire  amid  the  ruins  of  a 
vast  heathen  temple,  already  ancient  when  Joshua  con- 
quered the  land.  Supper  was  over,  and  the  disciples  were 
lounging  about  the  fire,  joking,  telling  stories,  and  mak- 
ing remarks  about  what  they  had  seen  during  the  day, 
when  Jesus  suddenly  appeared  among  them  and  sat  down 
by  the  fire.  Conversation  at  once  ceased,  and  all  waited 
in  silence  for  him  to  speak. 

"  We  are  fleeing  away,"  he  said  at  length,  "  because  of 
Herod  and  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees.  It  may  have  been 
necessary ;  but  we  must  finally  go  back.  There  is  nothing 
to  expect  of  these  heathen  we  see  here ;  and  we  cannot  go 
to  the  dispersed  among  the  Gentiles.  God  has  given  me 
my  work  to  do  in  the  land  of  my  fathers,  and  there  I 
must  finally  go.  True,  I  have  been  rejected  and  cast  out 
of  all  men.  But  why.''  Whom  do  the  people  take  me  to 
be.''     Whom  do  they  say  that  I  am,'^  " 

Familiar  talk  like  this  had  come,  of  late,  to  be  so  rare 
with  Jesus  that  the  disciples  were  amazed,  and  for  some 
time  no  one  answered.  Peter  was  the  first  to  speak.  "  I 
should  sa}^,"  he  replied,  "  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
people  look  upon  ^-ou  as  a  teacher  or  prophet  sent  from 
God,  one  who  might  be  a  Judge  and  Leader  like  Joshua." 

Peter  having  said  this,  several  of  the  other  disciples 
expressed  their  views.  One  said  that  the  people  called 
him  Elijah,  and  another  said  Jeremiah,  and  so  on ;  and  at 


402  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

last  Judas  said  rather  shamefacedly  that  many  declared 
that  Jesus  was  only  a  sorcerer  and  had  a  Devil. 

Again  silence.  At  length  Jesus,  lifting  his  head  from 
gazing  into  the  fire,  and  looking  around  upon  the  dis- 
ciples, asked  pointedly,  "  And  whom  do  you  say  that  I 
am?" 

The  question  was  directed  to  no  one  in  particular,  but 
the  disciples  all  looked  to  Peter  for  the  answer.  The 
situation  was  a  little  embarrassing  for  Peter,  for  he  would 
have  liked  to  qualify  his  answer  by  some  "  ifs "  and 
"  ands  " ;  but  he  had  already  declared  himself  in  the  pres- 
ence of  all,  and  he  would  not  now  recede.  "  To  me,"  he 
said,  "  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God." 

Jesus  had  lowered  his  head  upon  his  hands  and  was 
gazing  again  steadfastly  into  the  fire.  He  did  not  stir, 
but  by  the  light  of  the  fire  shining  in  his  face  the  dis- 
ciples could  see  that  he  was  deeply  moved ;  they  saw  the 
lines  about  his  nose  and  mouth  grow  deeper  and  the  great 
vein  on  his  brow  swell  and  throb,  and  at  last  a  tear  start 
from  his  eyes  and  course  slowly  down  his  cheek. 

Jesus  arose,  and  going  to  Peter,  put  his  hand  on  his 
shoulder,  and  said,  "Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona; 
for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  this  unto  thee,  but 
my  Father  which  is  in  Heaven.  And  this  is  the  rock  that 
God  Himself  hath  laid,  and  upon  it  He  will  build  the  New 
Jerusalem,  the  Kingdom  of  God,  that  waxeth  not  old  nor 
fadeth  away,  and  against  which  all  Earth  and  Hell  shall 
not  prevail." 

Jesus  turned  away  and  stood  before  the  fire,  with  a 
manner  so  rapt  and  intense  that  the  disciples  were  spell- 
bound. John  and  others  thought  they  saw  a  brightness 
like  a  halo  about  his  head.  At  last  Jesus,  with  face  up- 
turned towards  the  stars,  began  speaking  again.  "  And 
I  beheld  Satan  as  lightning  fall  from  heaven !  I  thank 
thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  that  thou 
hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast 


UNFOLDING  403 

revealed  them  unto  babes :  even  so,  Father,  for  so  it 
seemed  good  in  Thy  siglit." 

Jesus  then  turned  to  tlie  disciples  and  told  them  that 
it  would  be  unwise  to  make  any  public  declaration  of  his 
Messiahship  at  present.  For,  as  he  said,  the  Authorities 
would  understand  it  that  he  had  set  up  to  be  king,  and  it 
would  bring  upon  them  at  once  the  power  both  of  Antipas 
and  of  Rome,  They  were  not  yet  ready,  he  said,  for 
a  public  announcement.  They  must  go  very'  cautiously 
and  feel  their  way,  for  they  were  in  the  midst  of  enemies 
wherever  they  might  go. 

"  And,"  he  said  in  conclusion,  "  you  must  settle  your 
minds  for  a  struggle  such  as  you  little  think  of  now.  To 
follow  me  as  the  Messiah  you  may  see  tribulation  such  as 
has  not  been  from  the  beginning.  I  had  hoped  to  bring 
peace  upon  earth  and  to  unite  all  men  in  a  loving  Brother- 
hood, but  I  see  now  that  before  this  can  be  there  may 
be  divisions  and  strifes ;  and  so  I  am  come  to  bring  not 
peace  but  a  sword,  for  in  this  cause  a  man's  enemies  shall 
be  they  of  his  own  household.  The  brother  shall  deliver 
up  the  brother  to  death,  the  father  the  child,  and  the 
children  rise  up  against  their  parents  and  cause  them  to  be 
put  to  death.  And  3'e  shall  be  hated  of  all  men,  for  my 
name's  sake.  But  fear  ye  not  them  that  can  kill  the  body ; 
for  I  say  unto  you  that  he  who  shall  endure  unto  the  end 
the  same  shall  inherit  an  everlasting  crown,  laid  up  for 
him  of  my  Father  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 


XLIII 
CJESAREA  PHILIPPI 

"  With  regard  to  the  true  meaning  of  these  words,  I  saw  their 
purport  to  be  that  Jesus  denounced  the  institution  of  all  human 
tribunals,  of  whatever  sort;  that  he  meant  to  say  so,  and  could  not 
have  expressed  himself  otherwise." —  Tolstoi. 

The  next  day  Jesus  and  his  disciples  went  into  the  city 
of  Cassarea  Phihppi,  on  their  way  to  the  mountains  of 
Lebanon.  There  was  so  much  in  this  splendid  heathen 
city  to  excite  the  wonder  and  curiosity  of  these  rude,  un- 
traveled  fishermen  that  they  had  to  linger  and  stare  before 
many  a  nude  statue  or  obscene  picture,  till  they  began  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  gamins  of  the  street,  who 
first  noticed  their  strange  actions  and  foreign  appearance 
and  began  to  gather  about  them,  jeering  and  making 
insulting  remarks.  Soon  a  crowd  gathered  and  followed 
them,  for  in  those  days  foreigner  and  enemy  were  almost 
synonymous  words.  No  man  was  safe  out  of  his  own 
province  without  official  protection. 

And  so  the  disciples  began  to  be  jostled  and  pushed, 
and  at  length  the  cry  was  raised  that  they  were  robbers, 
and  they  began  to  be  pelted  with  stones.  Jesus,  seeing 
the  danger,  hurried  them  along.  They  finally  got  clear 
of  the  city,  and  were  very  thankful  at  having  escaped  from 
a  great  peril.  But  the  country  they  now  came  into,  far 
up  on  the  side  of  Hermon,  was  one  wholly  ill-suited  to  their 
manner  of  life.  The  nights  were  very  cold,  and  having 
now  no  tents,  they  were  obliged  to  sleep  on  the  ground  in 
the  open  air.  This  they  co.uld  do  very  well  in  sunny 
Galilee;  but  here  the  climate  was  quite  different.  Only  a 
little  way  above  them,  the  snows  of  Hermon  never  quite 
disappeared   even   in   summer.     Moreover,   they   found   it 

404 


CJESAREA  PHILIPPI  405 

difficult  to  get  food  enougli  to  supply  their  needs.  There 
was  not  here  that  abundance  of  fruits  and  grains  that  they 
had  found  on  the  plains  and  in  the  valleys  below,  and  the 
rude  country  people  were  made  angry  and  suspicious  by 
their  depredations  and  strange  behaviour. 

Tlien  not  only  was  it  a  hard  life  but  apparently  a  life 
barren  of  good  results.  The  disciples  soon  grew  very 
discontented  and  even  mutinous ;  they  were  homesick  and 
despairing ;  there  were  murmurings  and  complainings  that 
threatened  the  breaking  up  of  the  Band.  Jesus  was  per- 
fectly aware  of  all  this,  but  for  some  days  he  did  not 
speak.  Much  of  the  time  he  spent  alone,  the  disciples 
waiting  with  gradually  lessening  faith  and  hope,  and 
growing  each  day  more  discontented  and  homesick.  At 
the  same  time  Jesus'  more  frequent  withdrawals  from 
them,  his  silence  and  abstraction,  increased  their  fear  and 
awe  of  him  to  that  extent  that  none  hardly  dared  to  speak 
to  him. 

At  length,  one  evening,  when  they  were  all  seated  about 
a  fire  in  one  of  the  little  valleys  at  the  foot  of  Hermon, 
the  disciples  still  waiting  and  hoping  for  Jesus  to  speak, 
he  suddenly  began,  in  his  strange,  soliloquizing  way,  and 
said,  "  We  are  like  sheep  scared  by  a  fox,  thinking  it  to 
be  a  wolf.  The  foxes  onl}'  bark  from  the  thicket :  the 
wolves  gnaw  the  very  bones." 

Jesus  said  no  more,  but  got  up  and  went  away  into  the 
night.  The  disciples,  already  deeply  mystified  and 
alarmed,  talked  the  matter  over,  and  agreed  that  next 
morning  when  Jesus  appeared  Peter  should  question  him 
more  boldly  and  make  their  complaints  known. 

So  next  morning  Peter  asked  Jesus  to  tell  them  more 
full}'  what  he  meant  by  wolves  gnawing  bones,  and  other 
allusions.  Jesus'  growing  habit  of  speaking  mysteri- 
ously was  exercised  by  him  almost  unconsciously,  and  he 
often  did  not  realize  that  his  talk  was  entirely  unintelligible 
to  his  disciples.     But  he  saw  now  the  importance  of  hav- 


406  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ing  them  understand  fully  what  was  before  them,  and  he 
told  them  how  it  appeared  to  him  that  the  only  dangerous 
enemies  they  had  were  not  Herod,  nor  the  Romans, —  but 
the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, —  the  official  class,  whose  head- 
quarters were  at  Jerusalem.  He  said  it  would  be  of  no 
use  to  go  back  to  Galilee  unless  they  set  their  faces 
towards  Jerusalem  itself  and  boldly  attacked  the  evil  in  its 
own  home  and  citadel. 

This  was  talk  that  all  could  understand,  and  Peter,  as 
spokesman  for  the  disciples,  replied  with  prompt  decision, 
even  showing  some  impatience.  "  We  will  all  be  very  glad 
to  return  to  Galilee,"  he  said,  "  and  go  on  to  Jerusalem  if 
thou  wilt  give  the  word.  We  left  not  Galilee  willingly, 
but  only  because  thou  saidst  so.  We  wanted  thee  to  pro- 
claim thyself  Leader  when  the  people  were  wild  to  have 
thee  and  every  Zealot  in  the  land  was  ready  to  support 
thee.  Then  thou  couldst  have  gone  to  Jerusalem  as  a 
King  and  not  as  a  beggar.  It  is  not  too  late  now.  The 
people  will  shed  their  blood  for  thee  as  their  Leader,  like 
Joshua  or  Gideon.  It  is  foolish  to  think  of  giving  up 
everything  to  those  nabobs  at  Jerusalem,  when  thou  canst 
have  an  army  at  thy  back  for  the  asking." 

As  Peter  had  proceeded,  Jesus,  sitting  by  the  fire,  had 
turned  and  fixed  his  eyes  upon  him  so  steadfastly  that 
Peter  grew  embarrassed,  and  ended  his  speech  in  evident 
discomposure.  Jesus  answered  sternly :  "  Peter,  this 
talk  is  unworthy  of  thee !  Thou  art  like  the  Devil,  a 
tempter  to  do  evil!  Get  thee  behind  me,  and  let  us  hear 
no  more  of  this." 

For  some  days  after  this  the  little  band  remained  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Mount  Hermon,  Jesus  for  the  most 
part  separating  himself  and  going  off  alone  into  the 
mountain.  W^hen  he  was  with  the  disciples,  his  talk  was 
so  strange  and  enigmatical  that  they  felt  more  and  more 
their  own  insignificance  in  the  presence  of  such  a  prophet. 
They  regarded  his  speech  like  that  of  Ezekiel  and  Zech- 


C^SAREA  PHILIPPI  407 

ariah,  whose  splendid  figures  were  to  be  understood  only 
hy  the  most  learned  Rabbis.  Sometimes  Jesus  would  take 
notice  that  the  disciples  did  not  understand,  and  would 
try  to  speak  more  plainly. 

One  night  he  apparently  started  out  to  tell  them  more 
explicitly  his  ideas  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  "  We  see," 
he  said,  "  how  the  world  is  governed.  We  see  especially 
how  these  Gentiles  exercise  lordship  over  their  fellows, — 
offices  and  officers  multiplied  till  every  groom  and  mes- 
senger of  the  governor  has  an  office  made  for  him,  whereby 
he  may  live  at  ease  on  the  toil  and  sweat  of  his  fellows ;  and 
how  for  this  they  bow  themselves  in  the  dust  and  cry, 
liOrd,  Lord,  and  yet  towards  their  fellows  are  proud, 
haughty,  unjust,  cruel. 

"  We  have  seen  such  things  all  our  lives.  It  has 
always  been  so,  where  Governments  have  been  instituted. 
We  read  how  it  grieved  the  Lord  and  Samuel  when  Israel 
asked  for  a  king,  and  how  the  best  of  the  kings  of  Israel 
exercised  lordship  and  demanded  service  just  as  these 
Gentiles  do,  God  so  made  Man :  it  is  the  law  of  his  being 
that  authority  begets  pride,  and  pride  begets  injustice. 
In  the  Kingdom  of  God  it  will  not  be  so.  Every  man  will 
be  rewarded  according  to  his  works.  He  that  doeth  well, 
digging  in  the  vineyard  or  treading  out  the  wine,  shall 
be  as  honored,  and  receive  the  same  as  the  priest  or  the 
lawyer  or  the  doctor.  With  God,  who  knoweth  the  heart, 
there  is  no  favoritism.  We  are  all  His  children.  Some 
of  you  have  asked  what  the  worship  and  sacrifices  will  be 
at  Jerusalem.  There  will  be  no  more  sacrifices  at  Jeru- 
salem, nor  in  any  temple.  Did  not  God  say  by  the  mouth 
of  His  prophet,  '  I  desired  mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  and  the 
knowledge  of  God  more  than  burnt  offerings,'  and  again 
He  saith,  '  For  Israel  hath  forgotten  his  Maker  and 
builded  temples  ?  ' 

"  God  will  be  worshiped,  as  of  old,  in  spirit  and  in 
truth ;  and  every  man,  like  Abraham,  will  be  the  priest  of 


408  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

his  own  household ;  and  there  will  be  no  servant  and  no 
master,  but  all  will  be  brethren,  the  children  of  their 
Heavenly  Father.  And  in  the  New  Kingdom  there  will 
be  no  prisons  or  dungeons  or  fetters  of  iron.  There  will 
be  no  more  Courts  of  Law  or  Judges  to  judge  and  con- 
demn their  brothers.  What  man  is  there  who  so  knoweth 
the  heart  of  another  that  he  should  condemn  him.?  His 
sin,  whatever  it  be,  may  have  been  wrought  in  him  from 
Achan  or  Cain.  God,  who  made  man,  alone  can  judge 
him." 

By  this  kind  of  talk  the  disciples  were  again  thrown 
into  confusion  and  doubt.  It  was  only  a  day  or  two  ago 
that  Jesus  was  telling  them  that  he  came  to  bring  not 
peace,  but  a  sword,  division  and  strife.  And  since  then  he 
had  constantly  insisted  on  non-resistance,  and  was  daily 
presenting  pictures  of  the  New  Kingdom,  that  made  it 
appear  like  Eden  before  the  Fall  and  on  which  rested  no 
shadow  of  strife  or  violence.  How  could  these  things  be.'' 
Peter  asked  the  question,  and  Jesus  answered  by  the  par- 
able of  the  mustard  seed  and  his  favorite  one  of  the 
leaven. 

"  A  truth  from  God,"  he  said,  "  once  cast  into  the  seed- 
field  of  Time,  must  grow  and  prosper:  all  the  efforts  of 
men  and  devils  cannot  prevent  it.  They  can  only  hinder 
and  obstruct,  and  their  obstructions  are  only  like  damming 
up  one  of  these  torrents  that  come  down  from  Hermon : 
when  the  dam  is  full  and  the  flood  comes,  all  is  swept  away 
like  a  spider's  web,  and  the  innocent  and  the  guilty  in 
its  path  alike  perish. 

"  Were  they  upon  whom  the  tower  of  Siloam  fell  guilty 
above  others?  I  tell  thee  nay,  and  so  it  will  be  when  the 
Son  of  Man  cometh  in  the  clouds  and  with  power.  The 
law  of  God,  that  the  sins  of  the  fathers  shall  be  visited 
upon  the  children,  remains  unchanged  forever ;  and  a 
sword  will  surely  go  out  after  iniquity,  and  good  and 
bad  alike  will  suffer.     But  it  is  for  God  alone  to  execute 


CiESAREA  PHILIPPI  409 

this  law,  and  not  at  all  for  man.  And  those  whom  God 
employs  to  use  the  sword  He  cuts  off  with  a  sword.  It 
needs  be  that  offenses  come,  but  woe  unto  him  by  whom 
they  come." 

Then  Peter  asked  about  the  government  of  the  world 
under  the  New  Kingdom.  "  If  there  are  to  be  no  Courts 
of  Law,  no  judges  or  trials,  no  jails  or  prisoners,  how 
then  is  the  world  to  be  governed?  "  he  asked. 

To  this  Jesus  made  answer :  "  If  a  man  or  a  woman 
doeth  ill,  their  nearest  friend  will  go  to  them  privately, 
and  in  perfect  love  as  a  brother  warn  the  offending  one 
and  exhort  him  to  repent,  return,  and  do  ill  no  more.  If 
this  be  done  in  true  love  it  will  seldom  fail ;  but  if  the 
brother  or  sister  harden  their  heart  and  refuse,  then  will 
two  or  more  near  friends  go  to  them  and  tell  them  their 
fault  between  them  alone ;  and  if  they  neglect  to  hear 
them,  then  shall  the  sin  of  that  man  or  woman  be  made 
public  in  the  community  where  they  live,  and  if  they  still 
persist  in  their  evil  way,  then  shall  that  man  or  woman 
be  turned  away  and  cut  off  from  all  friendly  intercourse 
with  old  friends  and  neighbors,  and  become  to  them  as 
heathen  and  publicans." 

Then  Jesus  told  the  parables  of  the  goodly  pearl  and 
the  hidden  treasure,  and  then  addressing  his  disciples  more 
directly,  he  said,  "  And  so  it  is  now ;  if  any  man  would 
come  after  me,  he  must  give  up  all  and  not  look  back,  for 
the  time  is  at  hand  when  you  all  will  be  tried  as  in  the 
fining  pot, —  a  time  when  whosoever  will  save  his  life  shall 
lose  it,  and  whosoever  will  lose  his  life  for  my  sake 
shall  find  it." 

Jesus  paused  and  sat  for  some  time  silent,  while  the 
disciples,  not  yet  understanding  clearly  what  Jesus  meant 
and  troubled  with  doubts,  whispered  among  themselves, 
hardly  daring  to  question  further.  At  length  Peter, 
moved  to  it  by  James  and  John,  asked  faintly,  "  Master, 
thou  sayest  that  in  the  New  Kingdom  there  will  be  no 


410  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

servant  and  no  master,  and  yet  that  those  who  forsake  all 
shall  be  more  richly  rewarded  than  others.  What,  then, 
shall  we  have,  who  have  forsaken  all  and  followed  thee?  " 

Jesus  did  not  at  once  answer  Peter's  question  but  kept 
looking  steadfastly  at  the  fire,  as  if  he  did  not  hear. 
After  a  time  Peter  repeated  his  question  a  little  more 
loudly  and  again  waited,  while  all  the  disciples  hung 
breathless  upon  the  answer.  It  came  at  last,  spoken  very 
slowly,  as  if  the  vision  of  it  were  being  evolved  before 
his  eyes. 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  no  man  that  hath  left 
house  or  brethren  or  sisters  or  father  or  mother  or  wife  or 
children  or  lands  for  my  sake  but  he  shall  receive  a 
hundredfold,  now  in  this  time,  houses  and  brethren  and 
sisters  and  mothers  and  children  and  lands,  with  persecu- 
tions, and  in  the  world  to  come  eternal  life.  And  ye  also, 
when  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  in  the  throne  of  his  glory, 
shall  sit  on  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel.  For  the  Son  of  Man  shall  surely  come  in  the  glory 
of  his  Father,  with  his  angels,  and  then  he  will  reward 
every  man  according  to  his  works.  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
there  be  some  standing  here  which  shall  not  taste  of  death 
till  they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  Kingdom." 

Jesus  ceased  speaking,  and  folding  his  cloak  about  him, 
walked  away  into  the  darkness,  leaving  the  disciples  stun- 
ned and  speechless. 

They  should  sit  on  twelve  theoneSj  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  israel. 


XLV 
THE  TRANSFIGURATION 

"  And  as  he  prayed,  the  fashion  of  his  countenance  was  altered, 
and  his  raiment  was  white  and  glistering." — Luke  ix-29. 

The  next  day  Jesus  took  Peter  and  James  and  John,  and 
went  away  up  to  the  rocky  barrens  of  the  loftier  peaks 
of  Hermon.  The  way  was  steep  and  the  ascent  toilsome. 
Just  before  nightfall  they  reached  a  little  sheltered  nook 
not  far  below  the  snow-line  of  Hermon,  and  there  they 
prepared  to  spend  the  night.  It  was  a  cold,  bleak  spot  at 
any  time,  and  now  a  keen  and  furious  wind  from  the 
snowy  peaks  of  Lebanon  chilled  these  children  of  tropical 
Galilee  to  the  very  marrow,  and  made  them  wonder  more 
than  ever  at  this  strange  ordering  of  the  Master. 

During  the  whole  ascent  Jesus  had  hardly  spoken ;  he 
had  appeared  like  a  man  weary,  discouraged,  and  spent. 
It  was  a  repetition  of  many  days  that  had  passed,  only 
more  pronounced  and  noticeable.  Since  their  flight  began 
it  had  become  evident  that  Jesus  was  much  changed  from 
what  he  had  been. 

In  those  joyous  days  when,  with  a  full  purse,  they  had 
fed  the  multitude  and  were  greeted  each  recurring  morning 
with  enthusiastic  acclaim,  Jesus  had  taken  it  all  in  with 
a  quiet  joy  and  happiness  that,  in  the  old  phrase,  made 
his  face  to  shine.  In  those  days,  too,  he  loved  to  see  the 
young  people  dance  in  the  green  meadow  to  the  sound  of 
pipe  and  timbrel,  and  to  listen  to  their  laughter  and  their 
songs.  He  could  join  in  their  innocent  mirth;  he  loved, 
in  the  free  companionship  of  friends,  to  sip  a  sup  of  good 
old  wine,  untroubled  by  any  doubt  that  the  Good  Father 
gave  all  things  for  the  use  of  His  children.  By  such  free 
living,  he  even  at  one  time  brought  upon  himself  a  severe 

411 


412  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

rebuke  from  former  brethren,  the  more  severe  and  Juda- 
istic  disciples  of  John.  He  was  accused  of  gluttony  and 
wine-bibbing,  and  not  without  some  show  of  reason. 
Jesus  believed  in  a  life  of  innocent  joy  and  happiness. 
What,  indeed,  was  to  be  the  New  Kingdom  of  God  but  a 
return  to  Paradise,  where  one  thing  only  was  forbid ! 

Now,  all  this  seemed  changed.  The  good  Master,  who 
formerly  had  been  the  light  and  life  of  the  Brotherhood, 
whose  buoyant  cheerfulness  had  borne  them  up  through 
many  a  darksome  hour,  was  himself  cast  down.  True,  he 
still  talked  of  a  glorious  end,  but  it  was  distant  and  un- 
seen, and  to  be  gained  by  pains  and  horrors  such  as  he 
sometimes  said  had  not  been  before  from  the  beginning 
of   time. 

Moreover,  in  person  Jesus  had  grown  haggard  and  wan 
and  thin ;  he  had  lost  his  calmness  and  serenity ;  he  moved 
about  from  place  to  place  without  apparent  cause,  and 
tried  to  conceal  himself  from  all  the  world.  Though  he 
spent  whole  nights  alone,  it  was  said,  in  secret  prayer,  he 
seldom  prayed  with  the  disciples,  and  then  only  in  the 
formal  Jewish  way.     What  could  it  all  mean ! 

It  was  nearly  night  when  Jesus  and  the  three  disciples 
arrived  at  their  destination.  The  sky  was  overcast  and 
the  mountain  shrouded  in  mists  that  the  fierce  north  wind 
rolled  and  tossed  in  billowy  masses  or  tore  into  streamers 
and  wild  fantastic  shapes  that  appeared  to  the  awed  and 
trembling  disciples  like  mountain  sprites  holding  wild 
carnival  and  ghostly  dance.  They  were  more  than  ever 
assured  that  Jesus  was  a  prophet  having  power  over 
spirits  both  good  and  bad.  They  saw  explained  his  soli- 
tary vigils  in  deserts  and  mountain  tops.  There,  like 
Moses  and  Elijah,  he  was  wont  to  summon  up  the  dead, 
and  to  talk  with  God. 

Now  for  the  first  time,  they  were  to  be  perhaps,  com- 
panions   in    these    mysteries.     Night    closed    down    upon 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION  413 

them,  dark  and  stormy,  and  in  their  sheltered  nook,  hud- 
dled about  a  smouldering  fire,  they  watched  and  waited, 
believing  implicitly  that  they  were  here  to  be  made  wit- 
nesses of  unnamed  mysteries.  They  were  startled  hy  every 
gust,  every  rustling  leaf  and  falling  ember,  as  if  it  were 
the  footstep  of  a  Heavenly  Messenger.  But  the  long 
hours  passed,  and  no  angel  appeared.  Jesus  sat  mute  and 
motionless  before  the  fire,  and  gave  no  sign. 

Exceeding  weariness  at  last  overcame  the  disciples,  and 
with  clouds  and  darkness  and  the  roaring  wind  about  them, 
they  fell  asleep.  When  they  awoke  it  was  morning.  The 
unclouded  sun  was  shining  in  their  eyes,  the  winds  were 
at  rest,  and  all  the  scene  transformed  as  if  by  magic. 
They  were  amazed,  and  looking  about  for  Jesus,  they  saw 
him  standing  above  and  apart  on  a  little  platform  of  rock, 
looking  out  over  a  scene  such  as  is  rarely  to  be  seen  in 
this  world. 

Before  him,  spread  out  like  a  map,  was  all  the  land 
promised  unto  Abraham  and  to  his  seed  forever.  Through 
the  clear,  pure  air  and  lighted  by  the  rising  sun,  he  could 
see  almost  the  whole  of  it.  Eastward,  Damascus,  with  its 
orchards  and  groves  and  towers,  and  beyond  it  the  vast 
plain  of  the  desert  stretched  away  to  the  ancient  home  of 
his  race  beyond  the  Euphrates.  Westward,  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  with  all  their  ships  behind  them,  and  bej^ond,  the 
great  blue  sea.  Ancient  Dan  lay  at  his  feet ;  and  far 
away  southward,  beyond  flowery  Galilee  and  the  lake,  be- 
yond winding  Jordan  and  Tabor  and  Nebo  and  the 
Samaritan  hills,  blazing  like  a  tongue  of  flame,  the  gold- 
roofed  towers  of  his  Father's  Temple  at  Jerusalem. 

As  Jesus  gazed  upon  this  scene,  there  flashed  through 
his  mind  all  that  it  suggested  and  Implied.  He  thought 
what  a  Paradise  of  God  it  might  be,  and  what  a  scene  of 
sin  and  misery  it  was.  And  this  Paradise,  this  Kingdom 
of  God,  he  himself  had  proniised :  as  the  very  messenger  of 


414  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

God,  he  was  sent  to  establish  it.  What,  then,  was  he 
doing  here,  a  fugitive  and  outlaw,  fleeing  like  Jonah  to 
evade  the  command  of  God,  and  for  fear ! ! 

The  thought  sent  the  hot  blood  surging  to  his  pale 
cheeks ;  his  heart  swelled  within  him ;  his  bent  form  sprang 
erect  and  dilated ;  in  eye  and  lip  and  brow  and  all  about 
him  was  the  look  of  a  King:  he  had  made  his  great 
resolve !  Pain,  ignominy,  death  were  as  nothing  to  him 
now :  he  had  won  a  first  clear  victory  over  them  all,  and  his 
soul  was  singing  its  new  birth  and  battle  hymn. 

While  this  was  passing  in  Jesus'  mind  and  heart,  the 
disciples  were  gazing  upon  him  in  amazement.  They  saw 
the  transformation,  well  enough  named  Transfiguration, 
and  thought  it  supernatural.  Then  at  the  moment  a 
cloud  of  vapor,  curling  and  winding  in  weird,  fantastic 
forms,  arose  from  below,  and  as  it  enveloped  Jesus,  partly 
hiding  him  from  view,  it  was  shot  through  with  sun  rays 
as  by  fire,  and  they  heard  Jesus  speaking  the  names  of 
Moses  and  Elias. 

The  disciples,  awed  beyond  measure,  fell  on  their  faces 
and  worshiped,  while  the  cloud  closed  in  about  them  and 
hid  all  things  from  view. 


XLVI 
SIMON'S  FEAST 

"  Nevertheless,  among  the  chief  rulers  also,  many  believed  on  him." 
—  John  xii-42. 

When  Jesus  returned  to  Galilee,  he  had  a  tone  and 
manner  so  different  from  what  he  had  shown  before  that 
the  disciples  were  astonished.  Instead  of  hesitating  and 
being  undecided,  and  in  a  measure  fearful,  Jesus  was  now 
prompt,  decided,  and,  more  than  all,  bold ;  he  began  to 
think  more  of  his  old  friend  and  cousin  John,  and  his  utter 
fearlessness.  He  often  spoke  of  him  in  terms  of  love  and 
admiration ;  he  said  he  was  greater  than  any  of  the 
ancient  prophets.  Like  John  he  began  to  denounce  more 
openly  and  to  their  faces  the  priests  and  lawyers  and  doc- 
tors who  opposed  him.  For  this  last,  Jesus  was  now  more 
than  formerly  sought  and  patronized  by  a  certain  class 
of  the  rich  and  ambitious  Pharisees. 

As  is  ever  the  case  in  all  times  and  among  all  nations, 
there  were  in  Palestine  the  Ins  and  the  Outs,  those  holding 
place  and  power  and  those  excluded  therefrom.  Annas 
and  Caiaphas,  with  other  leaders  of  the  Sanhedrin  at 
Jerusalem,  were  of  that  priestly  craft,  the  Sadducees,  and 
were  in  favor  with  the  all-powerful  Romans.  Then  the 
hatred  between  the  schools  of  Shammai  and  Hillel,  that  is, 
the  Democrats  and  the  Aristocrats,  was  being  revived. 
The  Sadducees  were  all  Aristocrats  and  held  by  Hillel, 
while  many  of  the  Pharisees  were  Democrats  and  held  by 
Shammai. 

There  had  been  much  bad  blood  between  these  factions, 
and  their  secret  enmity  was  still  bitter.  The  provincial 
Rabbis  and  Pharisees  were  all  Shammaites  and  jealous  of 
the  priestly  Sadducees,  who  held  the  chief  offices  and  all  the 

415 


416  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

power.  Even  Simon  of  Capernaum,  taking  offense  at 
the  overbearing  haughtiness  of  the  Jerusalem  cabal,  had 
broken  off  his  Sadducean  affiliations,  and  was  now  counted 
on  as  a  Nationalist  and  opposed  to  Rome.  And  so  Simon, 
like  many  other  Pharisees,  had  begun  to  consider  if  Jesus, 
with  his  radical  ideas  about  Democracy  and  his  Democratic 
following,  might  not  be  made  serviceable  in  lowering  the 
presumptuous  pride  of  that  tyrannical  cabal  at  Jerusalem, 
which,  leagued  with  Rome,  had  grown  intolerable  even  to 
rich  Pharisees  who  were  excluded  from  its  secret  counsels 
and  from  participation  in  its  profitable  business. 

Jesus'  return  to  Galilee  was  accompanied  with  such 
unmistakable  evidences  of  power,  not  only  in  his  own  bold 
attitude  but  in  the  increased  number  and  enthusiasm 
of  his  followers,  that  the  class  of  rich  "  Discontents " 
just  mentioned  were  stirred  to  take  measures  to  gain 
him. 

A  number  of  rich  men,  "  Rulers  "  so  called,  from  Jeru- 
salem came  to  Capernaum,  among  whom  were  Nicodemus 
and  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  They  attended  upon  Jesus' 
preaching,  and  made  expensive  and  luxurious  feasts  for 
him.  They  flattered  him  in  many  ways,  calling  him 
"  Master,"  and  "  Good  Master,"  hoping  to  draw  him  away 
and  separate  him  from  his  low  and  degraded  following. 
And  yet  at  these  feasts  Jesus  was  not  treated  as  quite  an 
equal.  None  of  his  disciples  was  admitted,  and  he  himself 
was  not  greeted  by  his  host  with  the  usual  kiss,  nor  did 
his  host  anoint  his  head  with  oil,  as  he  did  more  honored 
guests ;  neither  did  the  head  servant  bring  water  for  the 
washing  of  his  hands  and  feet. 

Jesus  overlooked  these  slights,  though,  as  it  appeared 
in  one  instance,  he  was  annoyed  by  them.  He  took  every- 
thing in  good  part,  talking  freely  and  most  entertain- 
ingly with  his  hosts  as  he  ate  their  rich  food  and  drank  of 
their  rare  old  wines ;  but  he  was  not  the  least  changed  or 
drawn  away.     And  though  they  persevered  almost  to  the 


SIMON'S  FEAST  417 

last,  they  felt  at  the  end  of  each  feast  that  Jesus  was 
hopelessly  "  impracticable." 

At  one  of  these  feasts  at  the  house  of  Simon  an  incident 
occurred  that  so  shocked  even  the  liberal-minded  Joseph 
and  Nicodemus  that  it  required  some  days  before  they 
could  again  look  upon  Jesus  with  tolerance.  To  under- 
stand this  incident  we  must  go  back  a  little. 

When  Jesus  retreated  to  Caesarea  Philippi  he  had  for- 
bidden the  women  to  follow  him.  They  were  all  eager  to 
go,  and  Mary  Magdalene  especially  insisted,  with  a  pas- 
sionate earnestness  that  aroused  some  sad  misgivings  in 
Jesus'  mind.  But  it  seemed  impracticable  for  them  to 
share  such  a  journey  into  a  foreign  country,  with  all  its 
exposures  and  hardships,  and  Jesus  would  not  permit  it. 
When  he  came  back  to  Capernaum,  the  women  were  the 
first  to  give  him  a  welcome ;  but  INIary  was  not  among 
them.  Jesus'  cautious  inquiries  about  her  were  met  by 
significant  shrugs  and  evasions,  and  he  was  obliged  to  go 
himself  dowTi  into  the  lowest  slums  of  the  city  to  prose- 
cute his  inquiries.  He  got  sure  trace  of  Mary,  and  found, 
as  he  had  feared,  that  she  had  been  drawn  away  by  drink 
and  evil  company  and  had  been  again  a  notorious  offender 
in  Capernaum. 

She  had  been  haled  before  the  Judge,  Simon  the  Phari- 
see, for  outrageous  conduct,  and  had  been  punished  by 
his  order.  But  Mary  herself  Jesus  did  not  find.  He 
was  satisfied  that  she  was  not  far  away,  and  left  w^ord 
with  the  easy,  good-natured  Greek  wine  merchant  and 
keeper  of  a  low  resort,  that  he  wanted  her  to  help  him. 
The  wine  mcrcluint  himself  seemed  kindly  and  sympa- 
thetic. He  said  it  was  a  pity  so  fine  a  woman  should  go 
astray.  "  I  hated  to  see  it,"  he  said  apologetically,  "  as 
much  as  you  yourself,  sir;  but  I  didn't  see  how  I  could 
help  it."  The  same  excuse,  originated  by  ancient  Cain 
and  repeated  to-day  by  every  pander  and  whiskey  vender  in 
Christendom. 


418  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Meantime  Mary  was  not  unaware  that  Jesus  was  seek- 
ing her.  At  one  house  where  he  was  inquiring,  she  was 
in  an  adjoining  room,  and  heard  with  palpitating  heart 
his  kindly  words  and  gentle  voice  speaking  of  her.  She 
would  then  have  rushed  out  and  thrown  herself  at  his  feet, 
begging  forgiveness,  but  her  condition  forbade  it.  When 
she  had  sufficiently  recovered  from  her  debauch  to  go 
about,  she  was  sorely  straightened  to  know  how  to  pro- 
ceed. Jesus  had  again  become  the  center  of  such  throngs 
that  it  was  difficult  for  one  like  her  to  approach  him  on 
such  an  errand.  The  women  who  attended  upon  his 
person  she  knew  would  repel  her  with  scorn,  and  the  dis- 
ciples would  look  coldly  upon  her.  Then  she  chanced 
to  learn  that  Jesus  was  the  guest  at  dinner  of  her  old 
Master  and  late  Judge,  Simon  the  Pharisee,  and  she 
resolved  instantly  upon  what  she  would  do.  And  so  it 
came  about  that  at  Simon's  banquet  an  incident  occurred 
which  was  extremely  shocking  to  respectable  Pharisaism. 

To  appreciate  fully  what  follows,  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  at  a  Jewish  feast  no  woman  could  be  present  in 
any  capacity ;  also,  that  for  a  Rabbi  to  take  any  notice 
of  a  woman,  even  his  own  wife  or  daughter,  in  a  public 
place  was  to  offend  against  all  rules  and  to  lose  caste ; 
and  to  publicly  speak  to  and  touch  such  a  woman  as  Mary 
Magdalene  was  almost  unthinkable:  it  was  as  shocking  to 
Rabbinism  as  it  would  be  to  a  fashionable  party  now  for 
a  guest  to  engage  in  conversation  with  one  of  the  servants. 

On  this  occasion  Jesus  arrived  rather  late,  and  after 
all  the  other  guests  were  assembled.  The  servants  noted 
that  the  sandals  he  left  at  the  door  were  old  and  worn, 
that  his  dress  was  poor,  and  that  he  came  afoot  and  un- 
attended; and  so  no  one  brought  water  and  washed  his 
feet,  as  was  done  for  other  guests,  and  Simon,  fearing 
that  Jesus  was  Levitically  unclean,  would  not  endanger 
himself  by  offering  him  the  customary  kiss  or  the  oil  for 
his  head.      Some  of  the  other  Rabbis  present,  either  less 


SIMON'S  FEAST  419 

scrupulous  or  more  diplomatic,  gave  the  kiss  of  fellowship, 
and  Jesus,  as  his  custom  was,  took  the  lowest  place  at 
the  foot  of  the  table. 

When  the  water  was  brought  by  the  servant  for  the 
washing  of  hands,  Jesus  washed,  as  did  the  others,  though 
it  was  well  known  that  he  publicly  disregarded  that  rite ; 
and  when  the  wine  was  brought  for  the  first  cup  before 
eating,  he  partook  of  it  like  the  rest,  and  asked  a  sep- 
arate blessing  for  this  cup.  He  ate,  though  sparingly, 
of  all  the  good  things  that  were  offered  at  table,  and 
drank,  in  the  same  way,  of  the  rare  old  wines  that  Simon 
took  some  pride  in  presenting. 

Conversation,  meantime,  had  become  animated.  Of 
course,  at  the  house  of  a  Pharisee  and  on  such  an  occasion, 
there  could  be  but  one  theme,  "  the  Law  "  and  its  bearings 
upon  present  conditions.  The  one  great  question, 
whether  a  strict  Jew  could  lawfully  pay  tribute  to  Rome, 
was  discussed  at  length,  and  Jesus,  though  very  cautious 
in  his  utterances  on  this  point,  was  noted  as  saying  that 
it  mattered  little  at  present  about  Roman  taxation. 

"  No  great  injury,"  he  said,  "  can  come  upon  a  man 
or  a  nation  from  without.  If  we  are  right  within  our- 
selves, if  we  love  one  another,  are  merciful  and  kind  and 
just,  nothing  can  do  us  permanent  harm.  The  proud, 
cruel,  unjust  man  or  nation  suffers  in  the  end  far  more 
than  those  who  have  to  hear  the  wrongs.  You  Pharisees, 
it  seems  to  me,  are  all  wrong  in  this  regard ;  3'ou  think  it 
wrong  to  pay  tribute  to  Caesar,  but  you  pay  willing 
tribute  to  the  Devil.  You  roll  in  luxury, —  as  witness 
this  table,  spread  with  costly  and  even  unwholesome 
viands,  while  within  a  bow-shot  of  where  we  sit  there  are 
hundreds  of  wretched  women  and  children,  the  seed  of 
Abraham,  who  have  not  enough  of  barley  bread  to  satisfy 
their  hunger;  and  the  very  taxes  that  you  complain  so 
much  about  are  mainly  paid  by  these  poor. 

"  You   rich   ones   compound   with   the   publicans   to   es- 


420  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

cape  your  rightful  share.  You  Priests  and  Lawyers  and 
Doctors  are  a  greater  burden  to  this  People  than  the 
Romans.  You  live  at  ease  and  in  luxury  while  the  Peo- 
ple toil  and  starve.  The  Romans  in  various  ways  make 
valuable  return  for  what  they  exact.  What  valuable 
return  do  you  make!  I  tell  you,  friends,  it  is  with  this, 
as  with  every  thing  else,  our  system  is  rotten  at  the  core ; 
we  put  on  an  outside  show  of  beauty  and  truth  and  justice, 
and  try  to  convince  ourselves  that  we  thereby  give  ex- 
pression to  the  spirit  that  is  within. 

"  We  have  the  most  costly  and  magnificent  Temple  in 
the  world  at  Jerusalem,  erected,  as  was  said,  for  the  wor- 
ship of  God  by  an  idolatrous  tyrant.  It  was  surely  built 
by  cruel  exactions  from  the  people,  and  is  used  to-day  as 
the  stronghold  of  a  gang  of  priestly  thieves  to  rob  and 
oppress  the  people.  You  Lawyers  and  Priests  and  Doc- 
tors are  everywhere  building  for  yourselves  splendid  man- 
sions, with  parks  and  gardens  and  pleasant  fountains,  all 
very  beautiful ;  and  to  the  stranger  who  did  not  observe 
the  mud  huts,  the  poverty  and  squalor,  of  those  who 
build  and  take  care  of  these  beautiful  homes  of  yours,  it 
would  seem  that  the  land  is  very  prosperous, —  he  would 
say,  '  What  a  happy  land ! '  and  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem, *  What  a  wonderful  monument  of  piety  towards 
God.' 

"  You  Lawyers,  Priests,  and  Doctors  count  yourselves 
learned  because  you  can  repeat  the  sayings  of  Hillel  and 
Shammai  and  other  great  Rabbis,  and  can  argue  at  length 
about  the  lawfulness  of  eating  an  egg  laid  by  a  hen  on  the 
Sabbath,  or  of  killing  a  louse  that  is  troubling  you  on 
that  day.  You  think  yourselves  pious  because  you  pray 
in  the  prescribed  fashion,  wear  broad  phylacteries  and 
costly  fringes,  avoid  the  touch  and  even  the  breath  of  all 
poor  laboring  men,  wash  your  hands  in  a  certain  way, 
and  use  no  dish  or  cup  that  has  not  been  rinsed  a  certain 


SIMON'S  FEAST  421 

number  of  times  and  in  a  certain  way,  and  do  a  great 
many  other  such  senseless  things. 

"  Now,  can  you  not  see  that  all  this  is  false  and  hollow, 
and  is  more  hypocrisy  and  falsehood  than  sincerity  and 
truth.  Don't  let  us  talk  about  the  oppression  of  the  Ro- 
mans till  we  do  justice  among  ourselves.  What  good  is 
it  to  have  the  outside  of  pots  and  kettles  and  all  food 
dishes  scoured  and  polished,  if  the  inside  is  foul  with  putrid 
rottenness  and  all  uncleanness." 

There  were  some  scowling  brows  among  the  guests  at 
this  plain  talk  of  Jesus ;  but  Simon  was  too  much  a  man 
of  the  world  to  show  any  offense.  Jesus  was  a  guest  and 
had  a  guest's  privilege.  Then  he  spoke  with  such  lofty 
dignity,  so  kindly,  slowly,  and  even  sadl}^,  that  an  angry 
reply  would  have  appeared  shocking  and  out  of  place. 
The  guests  were  all  high-bred  gentlemen  of  ancient  line- 
age, and  were  not  easily  betrayed  into  indiscretions. 
They  looked  upon  Jesus  as,  indeed,  an  extremely  remark- 
able man,  but  as  having  so  lately  sprung  from  the  com- 
mon people  as  not  to  be  expected  to  show  any  refinement. 
They,  as  gentleman,  must  be  considerate. 

Besides,  Simon  and  his  guests  were  opposed  to  the 
cabal  of  Annas,  and  applied  Jesus'  strictures  to  them  and 
not  so  much  to  themselves.  They  still  hoped  that  Jesus 
might  be  used  to  their  advantage.  Some  of  them  even 
commended  Jesus  for  his  boldness,  and  one  addressing 
him  as  "  Good  INIaster,"  was  about  to  ask  a  question,  but 
Jesus,  interrupting  him,  said,  "  Call  me  not  good ;  there 
is  one  only  who  deserves  that  title,  that  is  God,  and  I  am 
only  a  servant  of  God, —  a  Son,  if  I  do  His  will." 

"  True,"  answered  the  Rabbi,  "  but  allow  me  to  ask 
what  your  idea  is  about  these  poor  laboring  people,  who 
you  say  suffer  such  hardships  and  injustice.  How  else 
can  it  be  with  them  than  as  it  is?  God  has  made  men 
very  unlike  by  nature:  to  some  he  has  given  great  powers 


422  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  noble  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  and  others  he  has 
made  weak  and  foolish  and  incapable.  Thou  wouldst  not 
serve  all  alike, —  the  great  Rabbi  as  the  vile  camel-driver  ?  " 

Jesus  answered  mildly.  "  I  would  have  every  man  ques- 
tion himself :  '  Who  made  thee  to  differ  from  another ! ' 
If  God  gave  thee  great  gifts,  was  it  to  exalt  and  serve 
thyself  that  he  gave  them,  or  that  thou  mightest  the  bet- 
ter serve  the  world.?  I  know  not  what  God's  plan  is  in 
the  regeneration  of  the  world  as  regards  this  matter,  but 
I  do  know  this  much,  that  in  the  Kingdom  of  God  that  is 
surely  to  come,  he  who  faithfully,  as  in  God's  sight,  per- 
forms his  task,  be  it  to  drive  a  camel  or  to  rule  a  kingdom, 
shall  receive  equally  of  the  good  things  of  this  life." 

Here,  at  last,  was  a  new  conception  of  things  that  fairly 
took  the  breath  away :  a  camel-driver,  the  lowest  of  the 
Amhaartz,  to  be  equal  with  a  Rabbi  1  After  all,  it  was 
true,  as  reported,  Jesus,  with  all  his  great  gifts,  was  in- 
sane,—  he  had  a  Devil.  Simon  and  his  guests  exchanged 
glances  of  understanding,  and  the  subject  was  dropped. 

Dinner  was  now  ended,  and  the  servants  brought  in 
the  after-dinner  wine.  Simon,  to  keep  up  a  show  of  fel- 
lowship, asked  Jesus  what  his  view  was  about  the  blessing 
to  be  asked  over  after-dinner  wine.  This  wine,  being 
what  was  known  as  spiced  wine,  made  up  by  mingling  the 
best  wine  with  honey  and  caper-buds,  required,  according 
to  the  school  of  Hillel,  a  double  blessing,  because  it  was 
a  mixed  product,  while  according  to  the  school  of  Sham- 
mai,  one  blessing,  as  over  ordinary  wine,  was  enough. 
Simon  asked  Jesus  if  he  held  with  Hillel  in  this,  or  Avith 
Shammai.  Jesus  knew  that  the  discussion  of  this  subject 
between  the  schools  at  Jerusalem  had  once  led  to  blows 
and  bloodshed,  and  Simon  was  known  to  entertain  very 
decided  views  on  this  subject.  But  Jesus  did  not  quibble; 
he  answered  gravely  that  he  thought  the  matter  of  no  con- 
sequence in  Itself,  and  then  he  advanced  the  shocking  opin- 
ion   that    formal    prayers    and    blessings    were    multiplied 


SIMON'S  FEAST  423 

beyond  all  reason,  and  should  be  curtailed  rather  than 
increased. 

No  one  seemed  disposed  to  press  the  point,  and  while 
they  sipped  their  wine  Simon  brought  forward  some  of 
the  questions  of  the  day,  connected  with  his  office  as  mag- 
istrate in  Capernaum.  The  social  evil,  divorce,  and  dis- 
regard of  tlie  marriage  relation,  he  said,  were  growing 
every  day,  till  they  overshadowed  the  land.  The  women 
were  fast  losing  their  old-time  modesty  and  simplicity  and 
love  of  home  and  children,  and  were  becoming  bold  and 
mannish  and,  to  a  large  extent,  lewd.  He  said  he  had 
exercised  great  severity  towards  them,  but  still  offenses 
of  this  nature  continued  to  increase.  He  asked  Jesus  what 
his  view  of  the  subject  was. 

Again  Jesus  advanced  ideas  on  this  subject  more  shock- 
ing to  many  of  his  hearers  than  anything  he  had  said  be- 
fore. He  said  that  though  it  was  commonly  known  that 
social  conditions  were  as  represented,  the  women  were  least 
of  all  to  blame  for  it.  The  men,  he  said,  were  at  bottom 
wholly  responsible.  Women  were  naturally  modest  and 
simple,  and  loved  their  husbands  and  children  and  homes 
above  all  else:  if  they  did  not  now  do  so  as  formerly,  it 
was  because  of  the  sins  of  men.  On  this  subject  Jesus  had 
shown  from  the  first  an  excitement  that  refused  to  be  con- 
cealed ;  his  tone  still  remained  low,  but  the  lines  on  his  face 
and  brow  deepened  and  his  voice,  though  guarded,  took 
on  a  ring  and  cadence  that  was  almost  startling. 

"  I  have  never  known,"  he  continued,  "  a  single  instance 
of  a  woman  going  wrong  where  a  man  or  men  were  not 
the  cause." 

At  that  moment,  from  a  little-used  and  unguarded  pas- 
sage the  veiled  figure  of  a  tall  and  graceful  woman  glided 
into  the  great  banqueting  hall,  and  without  pause  or  hes- 
itation cast  herself  at  Jesus'  feet,  uttering  no  word  but 
sobbing  violently,  Jesus'  feet  were  bare,  and  his  long 
journeys  afoot  had  left  their  mark.     The  rawhide  thongs 


4>U  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

that  bound  his  sandals  had  clmfed  and  worn,  and  across 
the  instep,  where  the  cords  had  drawn,  his  feet  were  raw 
and  bleeding.  The  woman  observed  this  with  increased 
pain  and  tears,  and  impulsively  unfastening  her  veil,  she 
brought  out  a  small  flask  of  perfumed  oil,  such  as  orien- 
tal women  carry  about  with  them,  and  began  to  anoint 
Jesus'  feet. 

The  unclasping  of  her  veil  unloosed  also  the  great  mass 
of  her  hair,  which  hung  in  tangled  profusion,  and  her 
tears,  flowing  abundantly,  fell  upon  Jesus'  feet,  and  she 
wiped  them  away  with  her  hair.  When  Jesus  first  became 
conscious  of  the  woman  at  his  feet,  he  raised  himself  from 
his  reclining  position  at  table,  and  sat  erect,  facing  her. 
Simon  and  his  guests  also  arose.  They  were  shocked  and 
scandalized  beyond  measure,  but  were  too  self-contained  to 
make  a  scene. 

The  woman's  veil  had  fallen,  though  she  was  entirely 
unconscious  of  it,  and  those  nearest  could  see  her  face, — 
a  face  only  too  well  known  in  Capernaum.  Those  who 
were  near  drew  back  to  those  standing  farther  away  on 
the  other  side,  and  in  a  few  whispered  words  communicated 
the  knowledge  that  it  was  Mary  of  Magdala,  whereupon 
some  of  thie  guests  exchanged  knowing  looks  and  more 
whispers,  and  a  smile  passed  between  the  younger  men,  but 
the  older  Rabbis  only  frowned  and  maintained  a  digni- 
fied silence. 

Simon's  first  impulse  was  to  call  in  his  slaves  and  forcibly 
expel  the  intruder,  but  his  habitual  reserve  restrained 
him  and  he  did  not  speak,  but  stood  looking  at  Jesus  and 
Mary  with  an  air  of  frigid  hostility.  Jesus  was  perfectly 
well  aware  that  the  offense  was  rank;  he  was  himself 
shocked  by  Mary's  almost  violent  infringement  of  ancient 
custom  and  usage ;  he  would  have  forbidden  such  an  exhi- 
bition with  emphasis,  had  it  been  left  to  him.  But  he 
could  not  now,  with  chiding,  add  the  last  straw  to  Mary's 
burden  of  shame  and  misery.     He  put  his  hand  on  her 


SIMON'S  FEAST  425 

bowed  head  and  spoke  to  her  kindly,  then  turning  to 
Simon,  he  met  his  stony  gaze  with  serene  magnan- 
imity. 

"  Simon,"  he  said,  "  I  have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee. 
Thou  art  offended  because  I  have  allowed  this  woman  to 
approach  and  minister  unto  me  in  thy  house.  I  pray  you 
to  look  no  more  upon  such  things  in  the  light  of  tradition 
and  usage,  but  in  the  light  of  truth  and  justice.  This 
woman  is  well  known  to  me,  as  to  thee ;  her  sin  is  doubtless 
greater  than  most  others,  and  has  been  pubhc  and  notori- 
ous. She  has  sought  to  make  her  repentance  and  her  pen- 
ance the  same.  This  that  she  has  done  was  no  easy  or 
pleasant  thing  for  her  to  do.  She  is,  as  thou  knowest,  a 
daughter  of  Abraham,  and  hath  borne  the  yoke  in  her 
youth.  If  her  sin  has  been  great,  so  likewise  is  her  sor- 
row. If  much  is  to  be  forgiven,  much,  she  thinks,  is 
required.  She  is,  as  a  great  debtor,  discharged  of  his 
debt,  freely  and  for  love.  Let  me  tell  thee  a  story.  There 
was  a  certain  creditor  who  had  two  debtors, —  the  one  owed 
Rve  hundred  pence,  the  other  fifty.  And  when  they  had 
nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  forgave  them  both.  Tell  me, 
therefore,  which  of  them  will  love  him  most  ?  " 

Simon  answered  coldly  that  he  supposed  the  right  thing 
to  say  was,  that  he  to  whom  most  was  forgiven  would 
love  most. 

"  Thou  hast  answered  rightly,"  answered  Jesus.  "  See 
in  this  woman  the  debtor  who  owed  five  hundred  pence, 
and  in  thyself,  if  thou  wilt,  he  who  owed  fifty,  for  even 
thou  art  not  without  offense.  I  entered  into  thine  house ; 
thou  gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet:  but  this  woman 
hath  washed  my  feet  with  tears  and  wiped  them  with  the 
hairs  of  her  head.  Thou  gavest  me  no  kiss:  but  this 
woman,  since  the  time  she  came  in,  hath  not  ceased  to  kiss 
my  feet.  My  head  with  oil  thou  didst  not  anoint :  but  this 
woman  hath  anointed  my  feet  with  ointment.  Where- 
fore I  say  unto  thee,  this  woman's  sin,  which  is  great,  is 


426  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

forgiven,  and  she  loveth  much ;  thy  sin  also,  in  this  so 
little,  is  forgiven,  and  thou  lovest  little." 

Then  placing  his  hand  again  gently  on  Mary's  head, 
he  said  to  her  aloud,  so  all  could  hear, 

"  Thy  love  hath  saved  thee,  and  thy  sins  are  forgiven ; 
go  in  peace." 

And  Mary,  for  the  first  time  conscious  of  her  disheveled 
condition,  gathered  up  her  hair  and  fastened  again  her  veil 
and  went  out. 


XL  VII 
RADICAL 

"Our  expense  is  almost  all  for  conformity.  It  is  for  cake  that  we 
run  in  debt;  it  is  not  the  intellect,  not  the  heart,  not  beauty,  not 
worship,  that  costs  so  much.  Why  needs  any  man  be  rich." —  Emer- 
son. 

About  this  time,  the  company  following  Jesus  having 
become  too  great  for  efficiency  or  convenience,  Jesus  de- 
cided to  send  forth  a  number  of  his  chief  disciples  sepa- 
rately to  work  as  preachers  and  healers  as  he  himself  was 
doing.  As  was  fitting,  before  going  forth  to  work  in- 
dependently, Jesus  felt  that  it  was  necessary  to  give  those 
who  were  about  to  depart  a  special  charge.  They  were  all 
rough  laboring  men,  unlearned,  rude  in  speech,  whose  only 
qualifications  for  such  work  were  intense  earnestness  and 
devotion  to  the  IVIaster.  Like  Jesus  himself,  they  were  to 
preach  the  immediate  coming  of  the  Messiah  to  scourge 
and  to  bless ;  and  their  evidence,  like  that  offered  by  Jesus 
of  the  truth  of  what  they  taught,  was  to  be,  as  the  prophet 
had  foretold,  that  the  sick  and  lame  and  blind  should  be 
healed,  and  that  the  poor  should  have  the  gospel  preached 
unto  them.  It  was  all  very  simple ;  yet  there  was  need  of 
special  instruction,  and  there  were  questions  to  be  asked 
and  answered.  The  night  before  they  were  to  start  out 
on  this  missionary  tour  they  were  camped  In  one  of  those 
beautiful,  flowery,  little  valleys  that  make  down  from  the 
mountains  of  Ammon  and  Gilead,  on  the  east  of  Jordan. 
The  water-course  through  it,  which  Avas  dry  as  ashes  in 
Summer,  was  now  vocal  with  a  babbling  stream  of  pure, 
sparkling  water,  and  grass  and  flowers  were  everywhere. 

Supper  had  been  served  in  the  open  air,  and  Jesus  and 
the  twelve  were   enjoying   their   cup   of   wine   in   blissful 

427 


428  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ease  and  companionship.  The  women,  of  whom  a  dozen 
or  more  were  now  in  attendance,  had  provided  a  couch  of 
pillows  for  Jesus,  on  which  he  was  reclining.  Gradually, 
and  contrary  to  ancient  usage,  these  women  had  come  to 
be  admitted  to  fellowship  in  this  small  circle  of  friends  on 
almost  equal  terms.  It  was  the  tradition  of  their  near- 
ness to  Jesus  that  a  few  years  later  gave  to  their  sex  a 
recognized  place  of  authority  in  the  first  Christian 
Church.* 

On  this  occasion  they  were  present  and  taking  part  in 
the  conversation.  Jesus  asked  them  and  all  the  disciples 
who  had  instruments  of  music,  to  play  and  sing,  which  they 
did,  Jesus  joining  in  the  singing  heartily.  They  sang 
the  old  familiar  songs  they  had  all  learned  while  children 
at  home,  and  though  there  were  many  tear-dimmed  eyes, 
it  was  a  happy  time,  and  the  tears  were  sweet  tears,  if 
also  sad.  Mary  of  Magdala  alone  did  not  join  in  the 
singing,  and  no  one  urged  her.  She  sat  apart  among 
them,  but  not  of  them.  While  they  were  singing  a  great 
number  of  instruments  struck  up  among  the  crowd  of 
those  who  had  come  to  hear  Jesus  and  who  were  camped 
near  by. 

Presently  they  saw  a  company  of  young  girls,  dressed 
all  in  white,  come  forth  on  a  little  green  plot  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  stream,  and  begin,  in  time  with  the  un- 
seen music,  a  mazy,  winding  dance,  with  singing.  To  one 
side  a  grove  of  orange  trees  were  in  bloom,  and  beyond, 
in  the  background,  against  the  cliff,  an  old  Hittite  ruin, 
with  its  broken  columns  of  white  marble,  stood  out  rugged, 
but  vague  and  shadowy  in  the  moonlight.  It  was  a 
charming  scene,  and  Jesus  and  the  disciples  ceased  their 
singing  to  gaze  and  listen. 

"  It  is  a  lesson  for  us,"  Jesus  said  at  length.  "  God 
hath  spoken  to  us  many  things  by  the  mouth  of  His 
prophets ;  but  he  speaks  to  us  every  day,  and  more  plainly 

*  See  Romans  xvi. 


RADICAL  429 

than  by  any  prophet,  the  things  that  pertain  to  His  peace. 
These  children,  sporting  on  the  green,  are  an  emblem  of 
the  Kingdom  of  God;  so  are  the  lilies  about  their  feet, 
the  birds  that  sing  in  the  trees, —  all  are  innocent  and 
care-free,  and  how  beautiful  they  are !  Who  can  help 
loving  them ! 

"  So  ye  who  are  about  to  go  forth  as  heralds  of  the 
New  Kingdom,  take  no  thought  for  yourselves,  what  yc 
shall  eat  and  what  ye  shall  drink  or  wherewithal  ye  shall 
be  clothed;  but  be  like  these  children,  the  lilies,  and  the 
birds,  that  offend  no  man,  and  are  a  joy  and  delight  to 
all.  And  so  only  shall  ye  commend  by  your  example  the 
life  which  you  preach.  It  is  the  cares  of  this  world  that 
degrade  men.  Be  ye  therefore  without  care ;  remember 
the  birds,  who  sow  not,  nor  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns, 
but  their  Heavenly  Father  feedeth  them;  also  the  lilies, 
which  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin,  and  j^et  Solomon  in 
all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these.  If  God 
so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field  and  so  feed  the  fowls  of 
the  air,  shall  he  not  more  clothe  and  feed  you.^*  Are  not 
two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthing,  and  God  noteth  the 
fall  of  every  one  of  them.  The  very  hairs  of  your  head 
are  all  numbered.  Ye  are  of  more  value  than  many  spar- 
rows. 

"  Go  forth,  therefore,  preaching  the  New  Kingdom  by 
example  more  than  by  word;  let  your  presence  be  a  joy 
and  a  blessing  in  every  household.  Provide  nothing  for 
your  journey,  not  even  a  staff,  nor  a  purse  for  money,  nor 
script,  nor  shoes,  nor  two  coats,  but  depend  wholly  upon 
God  for  whatsoever  ye  have  need  of.  Then  be  sure  that 
in  all  things  your  lives  be  right, —  right  in  thought  and 
word  and  deed.  It  is  the  perfect  man  alone  whom  God 
makes  truly  His  son  and  heir,  and  to  whom  He  gives 
power  over  all  evil.  The  perfect  man  need  fear  nothing 
whatever  in  this  world.  The  pestilence  that  walks  abroad 
at  noonday  cannot  hurt  him,  nor  demons,  nor  sorcerers. 


430  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

nor  witches,  nor  serpents,  nor  scorpions.  Be  ^^e  therefore 
perfect,  and  then  will  your  light  shine:  j^ou  will  fear 
nothing,  and  you  will  be  able  to  do  anything.  You  can 
remove  mountains ;  you  can  say  to  this  sycamore  tree  that 
spreads  its  branches  over  our  heads,  '  Be  thou  plucked  up 
and  cast  into  the  sea,'  and  it  will  be  done.  The  power 
that  worketh  in  you  is  the  power  of  God,  and  there  is  no 
limit  to  that. 

"  Then  to  heal  tlie  sick,  to  restore  the  blind,  to  make 
the  lame  walk,  you  must  entirely  forget  self  and  put 
yourself  in  the  place  of  the  sufferer.  You  must  have 
compassion,  and  feel  as  he  feels.  As  the  prophet  de- 
clared, you  must  bear  others'  griefs,  be  wounded  your- 
selves for  their  transgressions,  be  bruised  for  their  iniqui- 
ties, and  be  chastened  for  their  peace.  You  must  be  will- 
ing to  bear  their  infirmities,  whatsoever  they  are.     Then 

WaLL  THE  POWER  OF  GOD  FLOW  THROUGH  YOU  TO  THE 
HEALING  OF  THE  WORLD." 

Jesus  paused.  He  had  spoken  on  these  high  themes  at 
other  times,  but  always,  before  this,  more  obscurely  and 
tentatively.  The  disciples  were  troubled,  and  there  was 
some  whispering  among  them. 

At  last  John,  who  had  grown  to  be  a  favorite  of  Jesus, 
asked  diffidently,  "  Lord,  we  need  more  faith ;  how  shall 
we  obtain  it.?  " 

Jesus  answered,  "  First  by  prayer.  In  prayer  the  soul 
of  a  man,  if  purified  wholly  of  self,  goes  back  to  its 
Source, —  to  God,  the  Creator  of  the  Universe, — 
and  unites  with  Him  and  works  with  Him.  To  such  an 
one  nothing  is  impossible:  he  works  in  unison  with  God 
and  must  prevail.  But  as  with  the  camel  passing  through 
the  eye  of  a  needle,  so  is  it  hard  for  a  man  to  get  free  from 
Self.  The  life  also  must  be  right:  he  who  would  be  a  true 
disciple  and  become  God's  messenger  of  peace  must  not 
only  sell  and  give  up  all  worldly  possessions,  but  he  must 
break  every  earthly  tie.     Father,  mother,  brother,  sister, 


RADICAL  431 

even  wife  and  children,  must  become,  as  it  were,  hateful 
to  him. 

"  Yea,  and  more.  If  there  be  aught  of  carnal  desire 
or  earthly  lust  lingering  in  him,  he  must  hew  it  in  sunder, 
cut  it  off,  as  did  Samuel,  Agag  and  Elijah,  the  prophets 
of  Baal.  If  thy  hand  or  thy  foot  offend,  cut  them  off 
and  cast  them  from  thee ;  or  if  thine  eye,  pluck  it  out. 
He  that  is  able  to  receive  this,  let  him  receive  it." 

The  disciples  were  more  than  ever  troubled  and  the 
women  drew  their  veils  about  their  faces.  No  one  durst 
question  further  about  these  dark  problems.  But  Peter 
at  last,  to  break  the  silence,  asked,  "  Master,  when  we  go 
forth  to  preach,  where  shall  we  go?  Wilt  thou  that  any 
of  us  go  into  Samaria .''  " 

"  Not  at  this  present  time,"  answered  Jesus  promptly. 
"  Only  now  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,  for 
the  Great  Day  is  at  hand,  and  I  say  unto  you,  ye  shall 
not  have  gone  over  the  cities  of  Israel  till  the  Son  of  Man 
be  come." 


XLVIII 
FANTASY 

"  Socrates  and  Pascal  were  not  exempt  from  hallucinations.  Phy- 
sicians know  the  name  of  the  disease,  which  made  the  fortune  of 
Mahomet." —  Renan. 

Again,  at  this  season,  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of 
Arimathea  and  other  Pharisees  who  were  opposed  to  the 
rule  of  Annas  and  Caiaphas  were  among  the  crowd  who 
came  out  from  Jerusalem,  and  one  night  they  came  to 
Jesus'  tent  to  talk  with  him.  Some  of  them  had  been 
deeply  impressed  with  Jesus'  teachings,  and  were  honest 
inquirers  after  truth.  Jesus  knew  this,  and  received 
them  gladly.  Like  all  men,  he  had  the  human  desire  for 
sympathy.  It  was  a  pleasure  beyond  expression  for  him 
to  have  some  one  to  talk  to,  who  could,  in  some  measure 
at  least,  understand  and  appreciate  what  he  said. 

"  We  beg  of  thee  not  to  be  offended.  Good  Master," 
began  Nicodemus,  "  but  there  are  some  things  that  are 
hard  for  us  to  understand,  and  we  have  come  to  thee  to 
have  them  made  plain  to  us.  First,  it  doth  now  appear 
that  thou  dost  claim  to  be  the  true  Messiah,  the  Son  of 
the  Highest,  and  we  pray  thee  to  show  us  how  this  may 
be." 

As  in  his  former  talk  with  Nicodemus,  Jesus  now  kindly 
explained  how  he  had  been  led  along  gradually  to  look 
upon  himself  as  the  Messiah,  and  then  by  many  references 
to  Scripture  he  sought  to  prove  that  he  was  the  long- 
looked-for  of  Moses  and  the  prophets.  Neither  Nico- 
demus nor  Joseph  made  any  objections,  and,  indeed,  they 
were  astonished  at  the  array  of  Scripture  texts  that  Jesus 
quoted  to  prove  his  case.  They  would  consider  the  mat- 
ter, they  said. 

432 


FANTASY  433 

Then  Nicodemus  asked  further:  "  You  preach  every- 
where now  a  New  Kingdom,  a  Kingdom  of  God,  as  you 
say.     Teach  us  what  we  are  to  understand  by  that." 

Jesus,  with  more  precision  than  he  commonly  used  in 
his  public  discourse,  explained  at  some  length  what  the 
Kingdom  of  God  was  to  be.  He  spoke  with  such  perfect 
certainty  and  conviction, —  as  Nicodemus  said  in  relating 
it,  "  with  such  authority,"  —  that  it  was  impossible  for 
the  most  obdurate  unbeliever  not  to  be  impressed.  Jesus 
explained  in  the  most  lucid,  forcible,  and  logical  manner, 
how,  if  all  men  would  put  away  all  evil  and  become  as 
little  children,  kind,  gentle,  innocent,  and  loving  one  an- 
other as  true  brethren,  the  world  would  at  once  be  a  place 
of  perfect  peace  and  happiness, —  a  true  Kingdom  of 
God.  He  showed  how  it  was  by  wars,  enmities,  envy- 
ings,  jealousies,  and  injustices  of  all  sorts  that  God's 
beneficent  designs  towards  man  were  frustrated,  and  the 
world,  instead  of  being,  as  planned,  an  Eden  such  as  was 
given  to  Adam  and  Eve,  had  become  a  Hell. 

He  made  plain  how  simple  and  easy  it  would  be  to 
change  all  this,  if  men  would  only  become  changed  in  heart 
and  become  as  little  children ;  if  they  would,  as  he  said  in 
grand  hyperbole,  be  "  born  again."  Such  a  radical 
change  in  the  constitution  of  the  world,  he  said,  had  been 
the  dream  of  John,  and  was  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
plan  of  the  Creator  towards  Man.  Twice,  he  said,  God 
had  put  all  men  and  the  world  in  a  state  of  innocence  and 
purity.  First,  with  Adam  and  Eve,  and  again  with  Noah. 
In  the  later  case.  He  had  destroyed  all  the  wicked  by  a 
flood,  and  now  He  would  do  the  same  by  fire.  Now,  as 
in  the  days  of  Noah,  the  greater  part  of  the  rich,  the 
great,  the  proud,  would  obdurately  reject  all  good  counsel 
and  would  have  to  be  destroj^cd. 

To  all  this  Nicodemus  and  the  others  yielded  an  invol- 
untary but  entire  assent:  they  were  carried  away  by  the 
earnestness,  the   enthusiasm,   and  the  eloquence   of  Jesus. 


434.  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Even  by  his  wonderful  mastery  of  Scripture  and  readi- 
ness of  quotation,  they  as  Jews  were  convinced.  Still, 
there  were  some  questions  to  ask.  Nicodemus  wanted  to 
know  about  being  born  again.  The  figure  was  somewhat 
extravagant,  even  for  Orientals,  and  Nicodemus  asked  to 
have  it  explained.  Jesus  was  quite  ready,  for  since  the 
conversion  of  Mary  of  Magdala  this  idea  of  a  new  birth 
had  taken  a  deep  hold  upon  him,  and  he  had  thought  it 
all  out  many  times. 

"  Before  the  Kingdom  of  God  can  come  on  earth,"  he 
said,  "  men  must  be  completely  changed  in  heart ;  they 
must  be  made,  as  it  were,  new  creatures, —  as  much  so  as 
to  be  born  again.  The  secret  motives  that  inspire  and 
direct  all  the  actions  of  men  must  be  radically  changed. 
Under  the  present  World  System,  in  which  Religion  and 
Politics  and  Business  are  only  parts, —  wheels,  as  you 
might  say,  in  the  Great  Machine, —  all  working  and  striv- 
ing is  first  of  all  for  Self.  No  one  forgets  Self  in  aught 
he  does.  And  so  we  see  this  fierce  spirit  of  strife,  com- 
petition, entering  into  everything.  It  is  nation  against 
nation,  city  against  city,  tribe  against  tribe,  verily,  family 
against  family,  and  brother  jealous  and  envious  of  brother. 
No  good  can  ever  come  of  this.  No  Kingdom  of  God  can 
come  to  men  with  hearts  like  this.  It  is  not,  therefore,  too 
much  to  say  that  men  must  be  born  again ;  and  they  may 
well  be  so.  Some  I  have  known  have  been  so  changed; 
and  what  is  possible  for  one  is  possible  for  all.  We  are 
all  God's  children.  Instead  of  working  wholly  for  self 
and  his  personal  life  man  may  forget  self  entirely  and 
work  solely  for  others  and  for  the  life  of  the  world.  Such 
a  change  is  like  a  new  birth :  it  is  being  bom  again." 

Nicodemus  and  his  compeers  were  philosophers  enough 
to  comprehend  this  talk  of  Jesus,  and  being  just  men, 
their  minds  and  consciences  approved  it.  But  there  were 
yet  other  questions  to  ask.  Jesus  had  been  reported  as 
saying  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand,  and  that  he, 


FANTASY  436 

as  the  Messiah,  would  sliortly  appear  in  the  clouds,  with 
Angels.  When  Nicodemus  asked  about  this,  the  whole 
manner  and  attitude  of  Jesus  was  changed.  From  the 
calmly  reasoning  philosopher  and  scholar,  using  facts  and 
figures  with  iron  logic,  he  at  once  became  what  seemed  to 
Nicodemus  and  the  rest  a  wild  enthusiast  and  dreamer. 
While  before  he  had  used  Scripture  to  prove  everything, 
and  sat  like  the  most  dignified  Rabbi  teaching  his  school, 
now  he  arose  abruptly  at  the  question  of  Nicodemus,  and 
began  walking  back  and  forth  without  speaking.  The 
tent  door  stood  wide  open,  and  at  last  Jesus  paused  in  the 
door  and  looked  out  and  up  to  the  sky.  The  night  was 
clear  and  beautiful,  and  the  starry  host  was  forth  in  all  its 
splendor. 

"  The  Father,"  Jesus  said  at  last,  beginning  slowly  and 
solemnly,  "  the  Father  judgeth  no  man,  but  hath  com- 
mitted all  judgment  unto  the  Son.  The  Son  can  do 
nothing  of  himself  but  what  he  is  empowered  to  do  by  the 
Father.  The  Father  may  give  all  power  to  his  Son.  If 
the  Son  doeth  in  all  things  the  will  of  the  Father,  the 
Father  will  show  him  what  his  will  is  and  all  things  that 
He  Himself  doeth.  By  perfect  obedience  the  Son  is 
joined  unto  the  Father  in  love,  and  they  two  are  one.  And 
as  the  Father  giveth  life  to  whom  He  will,  even  raising  up 
the  dead  and  quickening  them,  so  may  He  give  power  to 
the  Son  to  raise  up  and  quicken  whom  he  will.  I  love 
and  obey  my  Father:  my  Father  loves  and  strengthens 
me.     As  my  Father  gives  me  commandment,  even  so  I  do." 

Jesus  still  stood  in  the  door  of  the  tent,  looking  out. 
The  light  of  the  moon,  shining  full  in  his  face,  re- 
vealed to  his  astonished  audience  its  expression  of  rapt  ex- 
altation, and  his  voice,  grown  deep  and  vibrant  with  pas- 
sion, thrilled  them  with  a  strange  sense  of  supernatural 
power. 

After  a  pause  Jesus  went  on :  "  As  it  was  in  the  days 
of  Noah,  so  now.     They  did  cat,  they  drank,  they  gave 


436  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  were  given  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noah  en- 
tered into  the  ark,  and  the  flood  came  and  destroyed  them 
all.  Even  thus  shall  it  be  in  the  day  when  the  Son  of 
Man  is  revealed.  But  first  there  will  be  great  tribulation, 
such  as  was  not  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this 
time,  no,  nor  ever  shall  be.  And  there  shall  be  signs  in  the 
sun  and  in  the  moon  and  in  the  stars ;  and  upon  the  earth, 
distress  of  nations,  with  perplexity,  the  sea  and  the  waves 
roaring,  men's  hearts  failing  them  for  fear  and  for  look- 
ing after  those  things  which  are  coming  on  the  earth.  For 
the  powers  of  Heaven  shall  be  shaken :  the  sun  will  be  dark- 
ened, and  the  moon  will  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars 
shall  fall  from  Heaven." 

Jesus'  tone  and  manner  had  become  more  and  more  ex- 
alted, and  now  he  raised  his  hands  and  looked  towards  the 
sky,  as  if  the  vision  of  it  all  were  there  before  his  eyes. 
Pausing  a  moment,  he  continued:  "And  then  shall  the 
Son  of  Man  appear  in  the  clouds,  sitting  upon  the  throne 
of  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him.  And  every 
eye  shall  see  him,  for  as  the  hghtning  cometh  out  of  the 
east  and  shineth  even  unto  the  west,  so  also  shall  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be.  And  then  will  he  send 
forth  his  Angels  to  gather  out  of  his  Kingdom  all  things 
that  offend  and  that  do  iniquity,  and  they  shall  sever  the 
wicked  from  among  the  just  and  cast  them  into  the  fur- 
nace of  fire,  where  will  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

When  Jesus  ceased  speaking,  he  turned  and  went  back 
into  the  tent  and  sat  down,  saying  at  last,  solemnly,  "  He 
that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear." 

Nicodemus  and  his  companions  remained  for  a  time 
motionless,  looking  straight  before  them.  Then,  one  after 
another,  they  arose  and  went  out  without  speaking,  and 
Jesus  was  left  alone. 


XLIX 
PILATE 

"  Nor  let  them  banish  from  their  city,  Fear, 
For  who  'mong  men,  uncurbed  by  Fear  is  just." 

— ^schylus. 

It  is  night.  We  are  in  Jerusalem,  at  the  palace  of 
Herod.  Here,  on  an  open  porch  of  an  upper  story,  walk 
back  and  forth  in  the  dim  starlight  Pilate  and  his  wife 
Procula,  her  arm  in  his.  As  they  pass  an  open  doorway, 
where  the  light  of  a  lamp  from  within  streams  out,  we 
may  see  that  Procula  is  dressed  magnificently,  in  a  low- 
cut  gown,  and  is  herself  very  beautiful.  Indeed  Pilate,  the 
grim,  stern  man  of  war  that  he  was,  is  still  a  lover.  He 
married  Procula  for  her  beauty,  and  is  yet  subject  to  her 
spell. 

"  It  would  be  Impossible  for  me  to  promise,  dear," 
Pilate  is  saying.  "  I  stand  for  the  Emperor  and  Rome, 
and  must  do  my  duty ;  so  go  along  now,  for  the  Rabbis  are 
coming." 

As  he  spoke,  a  palanquin,  borne  by  slaves  and  lighted  by 
a  number  of  torch  bearers,  paused  at  the  gate  by  the  great 
tower  below,  and  after  brief  examination  by  the  officer  of 
the  guard  there,  was  passed  in  towards  the  palace.  Other 
groups  of  moving  torches  could  be  seen  approaching,  and 
Pilate  went  on :  "  They  will  all  be  here  soon  now,  and  I 
suppose  these  Hebrew  friends  of  yours  would  be  shocked 
to  meet  a  woman  here."  And  Pilate,  disengaging  her 
arm,  turned  and  taking  Procula's  coyly  averted  face  be- 
tween his  hands,  kissed  her  on  the  cheek  graciously,  and 
added  playfully,  "  So  run  along  now,  pussy." 

But  Procula  still  lingered,  and  placing  a  hand  on  Pilate's 
shoulder,  looked  him   in  the  eyes   and   spoke  pleadingly. 

437 


438  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  But  you  can  promise  to  give  him  the  benefit  of  every 
doubt,  and  you  will,  won't  you?  " 

"  Oh,  yes;  that  would  be  no  more  than  Roman  justice," 
answered  Pilate.      "  I  can  promise  that." 

"  Oh,  you  are  my  dear,  kind  lord,"  and  Procula  raised 
her  lips  to  receive  a  kiss.  "  I  will  kiss  you  for  that,"  she 
said. 

The  hard  features  of  Pilate  relaxed  and  the  love  light 
came  into  his  steel-gray  eyes,  as  he  stooped  and  kissed  the 
lips  that  were  offered  him.  "  You  are  a  treasure,"  he 
said  ardently,  striving  to  gain  another  kiss,  but  Procula 
slipped  out  of  his  hands,  and  glided  away,  laughing  her 
adieu. 

Then  the  Rabbi  Gamaliel  was  announced,  and  imme- 
diately following,  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of  Arimathea, 
with  several  other  Rabbis  of  eminence  in  Jerusalem,  and 
last  of  all  our  old  acquaintance  Varus,  the  Roman.  Varus 
is  now  no  longer  a  field  officer  of  troops,  but  belongs  to  the 
staff  of  Pilate  and  is  of  his  household. 

When  they  are  all  assembled,  Pilate  addresses  them  with 
a  stern  condescension,  so  different  from  his  manner  of  a  few 
minutes  ago  that  we  may  hardly  know  him.  "  I  have 
called  you  together,"  he  said,  "  to  ask  what  you  know  of 
this  man  Jesus  of  Nazareth, —  of  his  aims  and  objects 
and  following.  I  ask  no  advice.  I  want  only  facts.  To 
make  clear  the  situation,  I  should  perhaps  explain  that  your 
High  Priest  Caiaphas  and  his  faction  assert  that  Jesus 
claims  descent  from  one  of  your  ancient  kings,  and  that  he 
designs  to  become  himself  king  of  the  Jews.  They  say 
that  he  is  an  artful,  intriguing  demagogue,  and  is  sup- 
ported by  that  old,  secret,  fanatical  party  known  as  the 
Zealots,  who  are  now,  they  say,  exceedingly  numerous, 
thoroughly  organized,  and  ready  for  an  uprising. 

"  They  assert  positively  that  the  coming  Feast,  which 
you  call  the  Passover,  is  set  for  the  time  of  the  outbreak. 
It  is  said,  further,  that  you  men  present  are  in  sympathy 


PILATE  439 

with  this  movement;  you  do  not  need  to  be  told  that  if 
there  is  an  uprising,  you  will  be  held  responsible  for  your 
part  in  it.     Now,  what  have  you  to  say  about  it?  " 

Gamaliel,  as  being  the  most  noted  Rabbi  of  Jerusalem, 
was  looked  to,  to  make  the  first  answer,  which  he  did  by 
saying  that  he  himself  knew  very  little,  only  by  hearsay. 
He  had  had  some  talk  with  Jesus,  he  said,  and  heard  him 
preach,  and  though  he  seemed  to  be  a  man  of  great  per- 
sonal attraction  for  the  ignorant  masses,  he  could  see 
nothing  in  Jesus  but  a  religious  fanatic,  whose  overwrought 
enthusiasm  and  constantly  dwelling  on  one  subject  had 
somewhat  unsettled  his  mind.  As  for  any  design  to  be 
king  or  to  set  up  any  opposition  to  the  government  of 
Rome,  he  thought  it  entirely  preposterous.  There  might 
be,  he  said,  some  danger  of  a  fanatical  outbreak  against 
the  Priesthood  and  the  Temple  authorities,  and  an  attempt 
to  introduce  reforms  that  would  involve  the  retirement  of 
Annas  and  his  family  from  the  Highpriesthood ;  but  of 
anything  more  than  this,  he  thought  there  was  no  danger. 
Gamaliel  begged,  however,  that  no  weight  be  given  to  his 
opinion,  but  would  rather  refer  the  matter  to  Nicodemus 
and  Joseph,  who,  he  said,  had  given  the  subject  much  time 
and  consideration,  and  were  far  better  informed  than  him- 
self on  all  points  connected  with  it. 

Whereupon  Nicodemus  spoke,  very  much  in  the  same 
vein  as  Gamaliel,  though  with  added  incident  and  circum- 
stance to  establish  what  he  said.  He  told  Pilate  of  Jesus' 
noble  and  lofty  ideas  about  life,  quoted  some  of  Jesus' 
most  remarkable  sayings,  and  told  how  Jesus  lived  from 
day  to  day. 

Pilate  was  interested,  and  when  Nicodemus  paused,  he 
murmured  something  aside  to  Varus  about  Buddhism  and 
the  Grecian  Philosophers.  Then  he  turned  to  Nicodemus 
and  inquired  if  he  had  seen  anything  more  particularly 
to  prove  what  Gamaliel  had  said  about  Jesus  being  of 
unsound  mind.     Nicodemus  rather  hesitated  at  first,  and 


440  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

seemed  to  evade  the  question ;  but  finally,  on  being  pressed, 
told  what  he  had  heard  Jesus  say  about  the  end  of  the 
world  and  his  coming  in  the  clouds  with  angels. 

Pilate  stared  in  amazement  at  these  words  and  asked, 
"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  this  Jesus  openly  proclaims 
such  notions  as  that  and  finds  people  fools  enough  to  be- 
lieve him?  "  Nicodemus  answered  that  it  was  really  so, 
and  Pilate's  only  comment  was,  "  Humph." 

Then  he  called  upon  the  other  Rabbis  to  state  what  they 
knew.  Their  answers  were  less  guarded  than  those  of 
Gamaliel  and  Nicodemus,  and  Pilate  artfully  brought  out 
their  covert  hostility  to  Annas  and  Caiaphas  and  their 
secret  hope  that  Jesus  and  his  party  would  humble  their 
pride  somewhat. 

When  all  had  spoken  Pilate  dismissed  them  without  much 
ceremony,  and  after  they  were  gone,  he  turned  to  Varus 
and  said,  in  a  tone  of  more  confidence,  "  All  this  favors 
your  ideas  of  this  matter,  and  very  likely  you  are  right ; 
but  we  cannot  go  much  on  probabilities.  We  must  make 
everything  sure.  This  whole  clique  that  are  with  Gamaliel 
and  Nicodemus  you  can  see  very  well  are  bitter  enough  at 
heart  against  our  Annas  and  Caiaphas.  They  would  all 
give  half  they  possess, —  miserly  old  curmudgeons  as 
they  are, —  to  see  the  present  Temple  authorities  driven 
out.  Did  you  observe  how  I  wormed  that  out  of  them.'' 
I  think  I  may  claim  a  good  deal  of  a  lawyer's  acumen  in 
this.  Those  old  sharps  didn't  mean  to  let  the  cat  out  of  the 
bag ;  and  did  you  see  how  annoyed  and  disgusted  Gamaliel 
and  Nicodemus  were  because  they  did?  These  Rabbis  are 
no  doubt  very  learned  and  keen  enough  in  their  way,  but 
like  all  these  untraveled  Orientals,  they  are  mere  children 
in  business.  But  no  matter.  To  the  point.  It  is  clear 
to  me  now  what  we  are  to  do.  I  will  order  up  a  thousand 
more  of  the  Gallic  Legion  from  Caesarea  to  have  them  on 
hand  in  case  of  trouble,  but  we  will  avoid  a  clash  as  much 
as  possible. 


PILATE  441 

"  Keep  the  soldiers  out  of  sight,  and  you  see  to  it  that 
by  no  word  or  sign  is  any  manner  of  offense  given.  Don't 
let  there  be  any  display  of  images  on  the  Standards,  or  of 
an^'thing  offensive.  These  hare-brained  Jews,  never  any 
of  them  much  better  than  a  lot  of  lunatics,  are  sheer  crazy 
on  their  Feast  Days,  and,  as  we  know,  it  takes  only  a  word 
or  a  look  to  set  the  whole  nation  to  boiling  like  a  nest  of 
hornets  stirred  up  with  a  pole.  But  we  will  let  them  buzz 
and  boil,  as  long  as  they  let  us  alone.  Of  course  you  un- 
derstand we  must  protect  Annas  and  Caiaphas ;  they  and 
their  clique  are  dependent  upon  us  and  are  more  nearly  our 
friends  than  any  others  we  have  here,  and  we  must  not 
allow  anybody  or  anything  to  put  them  out.  And  that's 
all  we  have  to  concern  ourselves  about.  Their  silly  squabble 
about  their  religion  and  their  Law,  as  they  term  it,  we 
care  nothing  about.  Let  them  brawl  and  fight  about  that 
as  much  as  they  have  stomach  for.  We  won't  meddle.  I 
believe  that  is  all ;  only  keep  me  informed  if  anything  new 
turns  up." 

Varus  gave  the  formal  military  salute  and  started  to 
withdraw,  but  was  called  back  by  Pilate.  "  You  haven't 
told  me  lately,"  he  said,  smiling,  "  how  your  suit  pro- 
gresses with  the  fair  daughter  of  Nicodemus.  Procula  is 
greatly  interested;  she  is  so  anxious  you  should  succeed. 
I  suppose  it  is  because  misery  seeks  company,"  and  Pilate's 
grim  features  relaxed  into  their  broadest  smile. 

"  Well,  it  is  quite  a  story,"  answered  Varus,  fidgeting 
with  his  sword  hilt,  "  and  I  perhaps  should  have  told  you 
before,  though  I  don't  see  that  it  has  any  political  sig- 
nificance, either.  But  it  is  like  this.  Rachel  has  been 
much  with  her  father  to  attend  upon  the  preaching  of  this 
Jesus,  and  she  has  become  a  full  convert.  She  believes 
that  Jesus  is  a  man  sent  of  God  to  reform  the  world,  and 
she  won't  listen  to  my  suit  unless  I  will  listen  to  her  talk 
about  Jesus.     She  doesn't  intend  to  marry  any  man  who 


442  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

is  not  a  friend  of  Jesus.      She  doesn't  say  just  that,  but 
that  is  what  it  amounts  to." 

"  Well,  what's  to  hinder  your  being  a  friend  to  Jesus.?  " 
asked  Pilate,  with  a  smile  that  struck  Varus  as  rather  iron- 
ical. 

"  Nothing !  I  am  a  friend  to  Jesus,"  answered  Varus, 
firmly.  "  I  have  seen  him  and  heard  him,  and  my  ad- 
miration for  his  character  and  general  teaching  is  very 
great ;  but  that  won't  do  with  Rachel, —  she  wants  every- 
one to  join  hands  with  him  and  become  what  she  calls  a 
disciple.      She  urges  her  father  to  be  one." 

"  Well,  well ! "  answered  Pilate,  thoughtfully,  "  I'd 
no  idea  this  frenzy  had  struck  so  deep  as  this.  I'm  glad 
you  told  me.  Are  there  many  of  Rachel's  class,  do  you 
think,  who  are  like  affected.'*  " 

"  Not  of  her  class,  I  think,"  answered  Varus,  "  but  there 
are  many  good,  middle-class  women  here  in  Jerusalem  who 
are  as  devoted  as  Rachel;  and  it  is  one  of  the  peculiarities 
of  the  sect  that  class  distinctions  are  all  thrown  aside  the 
moment  they  become  disciples ;  rich  and  poor,  bond  and 
free,  are  all  on  the  same  level:  that  seems  to  be  the  main 
tenet  of  their  cult.  To  be  a  real  disciple  one  has  to  sell 
all  that  he  has,  and  either  give  all  away  or  put  it  all  into 
the  common  fund,  so  they  all  have  to  live  alike." 

"  Strange,  isn't  it,"  mused  Pilate.  "  A  kind  of  mixture 
of  Buddhism,  Essenism,  and  the  Stoic  philosophy.  What 
is  the  world  coming  to,  anyway !     Curious  !  " 

Varus  made  no  answer  and  again  started  to  withdraw, 
but  was  once  more  called  back  by  Pilate. 

"  Now  you  know  this  is  a  serious  business  for  me,  and 
I  shall  have  to  answer  to  the  Emperor  if  things  go  wrong ; 
for  if  we  have  to  slaughter  a  few  thousand  of  these  vermin, 
our  enemies  will  take  full  advantage  of  it,  and  I  shall  be 
summoned  to  Rome  to  show  cause.  You  have  spent  most 
of  your  life  in  this  country, —  while  I  am  a  stranger  here. 
Of  course  I  depend  on  you.     Now,  be  sure  you  are  right. 


PILATE  44,3 

You  say  this  Jesus  is  not  a  Zealot,  or  connected  with  them 
in  any  way.     Are  you  still  sure  of  that?  " 

"  I  think  I  am,"  answered  Varus. 

"  Think,"  echoed  Pilate,  sharply.  "  Thinking  won't  do 
now.     You  must  know." 

"  Well,  I  do  know,"  answered  Varus.  "  I  will  answer 
for  that." 

"  I  am  thinking  more  about  this  clique  of  Gamaliel  and 
Nicodemus.  What  you  have  told  me  about  Nicodemus' 
daughter  looks  suspicious.  Isn't  Nicodemus  himself  a  real 
disciple  of  this  Jesus  ?  " 

"  No.  I  think  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  rich  man  has  yet 
become  a  real  disciple  of  Jesus.  Without  yourself  seeing 
and  talking  with  Jesus,  you  cannot  understand  what  a 
mastery  he  obtains  at  first  over  all  sorts  of  men.  There 
is  no  resisting  him.  He  speaks  with  the  authority  of  an 
Emperor,  and  yet  with  a  kindness  and  gentleness  that 
marvelously  draws  all  men,  and  especially  women,  to  him. 
The  sick,  the  halt,  and  even  the  blind,  seem  to  be  benefited, 
and  many  are  really  cured  by  the  laying  on  of  his  hands. 
Nicodemus  and  many  others  of  his  class  have  been  under 
the  spell  of  Jesus.  At  first  they  are  carried  away  with 
him  in  spite  of  themselves ;  but  when  Jesus  asks  them  to 
sell  all  that  they  have  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  then  again 
when  he  goes  off  into  one  of  his  prophetic  frenzies  and 
talks  about  the  end  of  the  world  and  coming  in  the  clouds 
with  angels,  and  all  that,  they  hesitate  and  turn  back.  You 
can  see  how  it  must  be, —  that  is,  with  the  men.  The 
women,  as  you  know,  are  different ;  many  of  them  worship 
Jesus  as  fervently  as  our  great  grandmothers  did  their 
Lares  and  Penates." 

Pilate  seemed  to  be  lost  in  thought,  and  made  no  further 
inquiries. 

"Is  that  all,  your  Excellency?"  asked  Varus.  Pilate 
waved  his  hand,  and  Varus,  again  saluting,  went  out. 


THE  PLOT  THICKENS 

"  Hypocrisy,  the  only  evil  that  walks 
Invisible,  except  to  God  alone." —  Milton. 

The  next  night  there  was  another  meeting  in  Jerusalem, 
at  the  house  of  Annas.  It  was  in  the  same  place  and  with 
the  same  luxurious  surroundings,  and  the  same  men,  with 
some  others,  were  present  as  at  the  former  meeting,  already 
described.  Gamaliel  alone  was  not  there.  Annas,  in  public 
the  model  of  reverend  gravity  and  moderation,  addressed 
the  meeting  with  a  solemnity  apparently  so  deep  and  earn- 
est that  all  present  seemed  to  be  moved  by  it.  First,  he 
briefly  went  over  some  of  the  things  that  had  been  done  to 
quiet  and  allay  the  dangerous  state  of  excitement  which  he 
said  had  been  growing  in  the  country  since  the  days  of 
John.  He  did  not  tell  all  that  had  been  done,  only  what 
had  been  attempted  openly  and  within  the  general  knowl- 
edge. The  secret  agents,  with  unlimited  gold  and  silver 
from  the  Temple  Treasury,  were  not  spoken  of. 

"  Notwithstanding  these  efforts  of  ours,"  he  said,  "  the 
excitement  grows  and  spreads.  The  very  existence  of  our 
sacred,  God-given  institutions  is  threatened,  and  we,  as 
the  trustees  and  custodians  of  the  Almighty,  must  answer 
for  their  safe-keeping.  Boethus  here,  and  Eliab  and  Alex- 
ander, who  have  been  with  this  Jesus  for  some  time,  in- 
form us  that  his  teaching  is  to  the  effect  that  Temples  and 
Synagogues  and  Priests  and  Sacrifices  are  useless  and  may 
be  entirely  put  away,  and  all  manner  of  Government  he 
looks  upon  as  tyranny.  It  requires  no  comment  to  show 
where  such  doctrines  lead.  There  are  some,  as  Gamaliel, 
who  oppose  harsh  measures,  saying  that  if  this  movement 
is  not  of  God,  it  will  die  out  of  itself ;  but  this  seems  to  me 

444 


THE  PLOT  THICKENS  445 

a  weak  evasion  of  duty.  God,  the  same  as  man,  holds 
his  trusted  servants  to  a  strict  accountabihty ;  he  requires 
them  to  use  every  means  in  their  power  to  protect  and  de- 
fend what  He  has  given  into  their  hands. 

"  In  such  a  case  I  beheve  it  to  be  our  duty  to  use  any 
and  every  means  whatever  to  preserve  the  integrity  of  our 
institutions  as  they  have  been  handed  down  to  us  by  Moses 
and  tlie  Fathers.  The  end  justices  the  means.  The  great 
and  holy  Rabbi  Hillel  taught  that  it  was  right  to  cheat 
the  Publicans  by  any  means  whatever,  and  here  is  a  worse 
evil  than  the  Publicans.  In  the  case  of  John  we  succeeded 
admirably:  by  like  means  we  may  succeed  now.  As  we 
have  not  the  power  of  life  and  death  within  ourselves,  it 
is  necessary  to  gain  Pilate  to  our  side.  This  we  have  not 
yet  been  able  to  do. 

"  Of  course  he  cares  nothing  for  our  institutions,  and  it 
remains  for  us  to  make  it  appear  that  this  movement,  and 
Jesus  especially,  is  opposed  to  Rome.  There  is  absolutely 
no  other  way,  and  we  must  exert  ourselves  to  the  utmost 
on  this  line.  There  has  already  been  an  attempt  to  make 
Jesus  King,  and  we  ought  to  make  the  most  of  that. 
When  Jesus  arrives  in  Jerusalem,  let  our  partisans  and  re- 
tainers on  all  suitable  occasions  mingle  in  disguise  in  the 
crowd  and  proclaim  him  king.  This  can  be  reported  to 
the  officer's  of  the  Roman  soldiery  and  also  to  Pilate  him- 
self. Meantime  the  charge  of  blasphemy  must  be  kept  in 
mind,  and  that  may  prove  our  strongest  point.  By  threat- 
ening Pilate  that  he  will  be  reported  at  Rome,  we  may  force 
him  at  least  to  permit  the  execution  of  Jesus  for  blas- 
phemy." 

When  Annas  ceased  speaking,  Caiaphas,  as  if  to  explain 
and  confirm  what  Annas  had  said,  remarked  blandly  that  it 
was  better  that  one  man  should  perish  than  that  a  whole 
nation  should  suffer. 

When  the  meeting  broke  up,  the  lawyer  Alexander,  the 
priest  Boethus,  and  the  doctor  Simon  Kanthcra  were  by  a 
sign  detained  by  Annas  for  more  special  instinictions. 


LI 
"  AN  EXCEEDING  HIGH  MOUNTAIN  " 

"  Because  they  thought  that  the  Kingdom  of  God  should  imme- 
diately appear." — Luke  xix-11. 

When  Jesus  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem  arrived  at  Jericho, 
his  following  had  become  great  in  numbers  beyond  all 
former  experience,  and  the  excitement,  fanned  into  flame 
by  the  secret  workings  of  Jacobus  and  his  agents,  had 
reached  a  pitch  of  enthusiasm  without  bounds.  Those 
mercurial  Orientals,  then  as  now,  were  scarcely  more  rea- 
sonable under  excitement  than  a  whirlwind  or  a  flame  of 
fire. 

The  enthusiasm  had  now  communicated  itself  to  the 
so-called  better  classes.  Rich  men  and  rulers  found  them- 
selves without  thought  or  volition  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd, 
shouting  and  acclaiming  like  any  poor  shepherd  or  vine 
grubber  from  the  hills.  Even  Zaccheus,  the  richest  man 
in  the  city,  a  Publican  of  the  higher  order  and  a  grave  and 
reverend  man,  was  so  carried  away  that  afterward,  when 
the  excitement  was  abated  and  he  and  the  other  rich  men 
had  settled  back  into  their  old  ways,  he  Avas  facetiously 
accused  of  climbing  a  tree  to  get  a  better  view  of  Jesus. 

Rachel  had  now,  for  the  first  time,  joined  herself  to 
Salome,  Susanna,  and  the  other  women  who  ministered 
unto  Jesus  and  his  disciples.  Here  she  met  Mary  of  Mag- 
dala,  and  clave  to  her  instantly,  upon  sight,  with  a  love 
like  that  of  Jonathan  for  David.  Rachel,  with  an  inno- 
cent young  girl's  freedom  from  suspicion  and  evil  thoughts, 
banished  all  questions  of  Mary's  past,  and  made  no  inquir- 
ies. These  two  were  drawn  towards  each  other  by  an  all- 
powerful  magnetism  that  defies  criticism, —  the  affinity  of 
kindred  souls.     Henceforth  Mary  had  a  friend. 

446 


"  AN  EXCEEDING  HIGH  MOUNTAIN  "     447 

All  this  to  Jesus,  absorbed  as  he  was  in  his  dreams  of  an 
earthly  Paradise,  direct  and  simple  as  a  child  in  pursuit 
of  his  Ideal  and  trustful  of  those  around  him,  was  encour- 
agement quite  beyond  his  hopes.  His  naturally  joyous 
and  sanguine  soul  leaped  almost  at  a  bound  from  its  depths 
of  gloom  and  foreboding,  in  which  it  had  been  plunged  at 
Hermon,  to  the  happiness  and  exultation  of  glad  fruition 
already  in  sight.  His  fears  were  put  to  flight,  and  his 
preaching  assumed  a  tone  of  boldness  and  lofty  assurance. 

He  attacked  the  priests  and  lawyers  and  doctors  of  the 
Temple  cabal  with  most  bitter  invective,  and  gave  indi- 
cations of  what  he  believed  was  in  store  by  those  pointed 
parables  of  the  Vineyard  let  out  to  Husbandmen,  of  the 
Barren  Fig  Tree,  and  of  the  Marriage  Supper.  Those 
who  had  so  long  shown  themselves  unworthy  were  to  be  ex- 
pelled, yea,  cut  down  and  exterminated. 

At  this  time  Jacobus  and  his  brothers  and  Barabbas,  for 
the  first  time  in  many  years,  appeared  openly  with  the 
crowd.  They  were  disguised  as  shepherds,  but  Jacobus 
with  his  towering  form,  and  Barabbas,  a  former  citizen  of 
Jerusalem,  were  so  well  known  that  they  had  little  expecta- 
tion of  passing  unrecognized.  With  thousands  of  devoted 
Zealots  everywhere  in  the  crowd,  and  all  with  short  swords 
under  their  abas,  they  believed  that  no  one  would  dare 
to  arrest  them.  And  so  it  might  have  been ;  but  Barabbas, 
so  long  absent  from  his  home  in  Jerusalem,  where  he  had 
wife  and  children,  made  bold  to  visit  them,  and  was  seized 
in  his  own  house  and  cast  into  prison. 

That  servile  crowd,  which  in  all  corrupt  and  decadent 
societies  have  ever  been  the  willing  tool  of  wealth  and 
office,  were  receiving  their  instructions  in  accordance  with 
the  orders  of  Annas.  Disguised  as  pilgrims,  they  were 
to  mingle  with  the  crowd  and  at  a  given  signal  to  set  up 
a  shout,  hailing  Jesus  as  King.  At  the  same  time  Jacobus 
and  his  agents  were  disseminating  the  knowledge  that 
Jesus  was  the  real  Messiah,  and  asking  all  men  to  so  hail 


448  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

him  on  the  morrow.  Neither  party  knew  the  plans  or  the 
workings  of  the  other,  and  Jesus  knew  nothing  of  either. 
As  before  mentioned,  Jesus  had  no  plans ;  he  simply  lived 
from  day  to  day:  that  was  his  real  message.  It  was  the 
vital  thing  about  him,  that  neither  men  nor  devils  could 
destroy, —  the  thing  that  endured. 

All  night  long  pilgrims  were  arriving  from  all  points 
cast  and  north, —  shaggy  shepherds  from  the  roots  of 
licrmon,  and  not  less  shaggy  herdsmen  from  Bashan, 
bands  of  wild  cave  and  mountain  dwellers  from  Tracho- 
nitis  and  Batanaea,  and  other  thousands  of  strangely  hab- 
ited men  and  women  from  the  dispersed  among  the  Gentiles, 
from  Gog  and  Magog  and  lands  towards  the  rising  sun. 
The  Rabbi  Helon  of  Babylon  by  trusty  messengers  had 
stirred  up  all  the  East,  and  not  since  the  days  of  the 
Maccabees  had  there  been  such  a  concourse  seen  at 
Jerusalem. 

When  Jesus  arrived  at  the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha 
at  Bethany,  his  clothing,  from  long  camp  life  in  tents, 
had  become  much  worn  and  soiled ;  he  himself  had  grown 
entirely  oblivious  of  his  personal  appearance.  At  this 
home  of  wealth  and  refinement  there  was  opportunity  for 
a  bath,  and  in  the  morning,  when  Jesus  awoke  late  from  a 
refreshing  sleep,  he  found  his  old,  worn  clothing  replaced 
by  fresh,  new,  beautifully  made  garments  of  wool  and  silk. 
These  clothes  gave  Jesus  a  moment  of  keenest  joy  and 
satisfaction ;  he  had  no  question  but  that  they  were  fit  and 
due.  But  then  in  a  moment  he  had  forgotten  all  about 
them,  and  did  not  so  much  as  remember  to  thank  his  hosts 
for  their  delicate  appreciation  of  his  needs. 

After  a  late  breakfast,  a  skillful  hair-dresser  was  in 
attendance,  and  under  the  adroit  management  of  the 
friendly  Lazarus  Jesus  submitted  to  having  his  mass  of 
wavy  hair  and  beard  combed  out  and  oiled,  as  the  diplo- 
matic Lazarus  Insisted,  "  In  manner  becoming  to  so  great 
an  occasion."     Jesus  was  indifferent:  he  did  not  yet  realize 


"  AN  EXCEEDING  HIGH  MOUNTAIN  "     449 

how  great  the  occasion  was  to  be,  but  he  had  an  innate 
sense  of  the  fitness  of  being  always  clean  and  in  order. 
When,  towards  noon,  Jesus  at  last  appeared  before  the 
waiting  multitude,  his  appearance  was  strikingly  beautiful 
and  imposing.  Without  pride  or  haughtiness,  his  bearing 
was  yet  that  of  a  king,  and  he  was  greeted  spontaneously 
at  the  very  first  as  the  ]\Iessiah  of  God. 

Bethany  being  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Olivet,  Jerusalem 
is  not  in  sight  at  that  place,  and  after  climbing  three 
thousand  feet  of  rough,  stony  road  in  fifteen  miles,  the 
way  from  Jericho  still  leads  steeply  up  over  rocky  bar- 
rens to  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  the  scenery  changes  as 
if  by  magic.  The  western  slope  of  Olivet  towards  Jeru- 
salem is  a  garden ;  olives  and  fig  trees  and  grapes  abound ; 
and  here  is  Gethsemane. 

Jesus  and  his  disciples,  with  the  women,  started  on,  as 
was  their  custom,  on  foot.  The  two  miles  to  Jerusalem 
could  be  easily  accomplished  by  noon,  and  they  moved 
slowly  on  amid  admiring  throngs.  Meantime,  Jacobus 
and  Helon  had  not  been  idle.  Helon  had  suggested  an 
artful  plan  which  in  its  workings  assailed  Jesus  with  a 
temptation  greater,  perhaps,  than  any  he  had  yet  encoun- 
tered and,  humanly  speaking,  came  near  to  diverting  him 
fatally  from  the  God-like  course  he  had  assayed. 

Following  the  suggestion  of  the  ancient  writings,* 
Helon  had  procured  an  ass  and  foal,  and  had  them  at  the 
turn  of  the  road  where  Jerusalem  in  all  its  glory  first  comes 
in  view.  If  we  take  our  stand  here,  we  may  see  for  our- 
selves what  follows.  In  this  scene  we  feel  that  every 
minutest  detail  is  memorable,  and  without  effort  we  note  the 
smallest  circumstance.  Jesus  himself  rivets  every  eye, 
though  he  seems  unconscious  of  it.  He  does  not  appear 
so  aged  as  when  we  last  saw  him.  There  are  some  natures 
upon  whom  labors  and  cares,  however  great,  have  no 
enduring  power:   they   leave   no   permanent   mark.     Mid- 

*  Zechariah  ix-9  and  Psalms  viii-2. 


450  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

night  wrinkles  and  deep-plowed  furrows,  lines  of  pain  and 
thought,  smooth  out  and  vanish  with  returning  day. 
Jesus  is  one  of  these:  his  bared  head  shows  no  silver 
threads  and  his  high,  clear  brow,  no  tell-tale  lines.  He 
combines  the  beauty  of  youth  with  the  majesty  of  mature 
and  conscious  power. 

Behind  him  come  the  disciples,  straggling  and  disorderly 
but  erect  and  bold.  Some,  as  Peter  and  Judas  Iscariot, 
are  almost  haughty  in  their  pride.  Their  day  of  recom- 
pense,—  and  may  we  not  say,  of  vengeance, —  is  at  hand. 
The  Master  is  now  at  last  to  enter  into  his  Kingdom, 
where  they,  his  faithful,  shall  sit  upon  thrones,  judging 
the  world.  And  now  follow  the  women,  closely  veiled ; 
but  we  may  know  beneath  any  disguise  the  tall  and  grace- 
ful Magdalene  and  the  stout  and  lumbering  spouse  of 
Zebedee.  We  look  in  vain  for  Rachel.  She  is  not  here ; 
but  further  along  we  shall  see  her  with  her  father  in  the 
press,  her  veil  blown  aside  and  flinging  flowers  in  the  path 
of  Jesus. 

When  Jesus  comes  up  to  where  Jerusalem  is  in  full 
view,  he  stops  and  stands  for  some  time  gazing  upon  it, 
lost  to  all  else.  It  is  a  scene  grand  and  magnificent 
beyond  all  description.  Between  us  and  it,  a  mile  away, 
stretches  the  deep  gorge  of  the  Kidron,  and  then  the 
mighty  walls  of  cyclopean  stones,  built  in  places,  from  the 
very  bottom  of  the  gorge  up,  up,  up,  four  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  a  wall  not  equaled  elsewhere,  nor  to  be  equaled ! 
Part  of  it  is  the  very  wall  of  David,  the  warrior  king, 
hoary  with  a  thousand  years.  Beyond  the  wall  lies  the 
city  in  awful  beauty  sitting  on  her  four  hills.  Zion  is 
there  which  David  sang  and  all  the  Holy  Prophets  la- 
mented; Moriah,  where  Abraham,  in  agonizing  struggle, 
gave  up  his  first-born  ;  the  Temple,  now  in  the  full  beams  of 
the  noon-day  sun,  its  spires  and  towers  and  massive  battle- 
ments of  plated  gold  aflame ;  and  all  its  palaces  of  white 
marble  and  precious  stones  and  gold. 


"  AN  EXCEEDING  HIGH  MOUNTAIN  "     451 

Jesus  was  tliinking  whence  came  all  this  splendor  and 
luxury ;  he  was  thinking  of  his  mother  and  sister  and  the 
millions  like  them,  working  in  sickness  and  pain,  denying 
themselves  the  necessaries  of  life,  living  in  huts  and  hovels, 
saving,  hoarding,  that  their  few  pennies  might  go  to  build 
palaces  for  the  proud,  the  idle,  and  the  vicious,  to  pay 
the  price  of  obscene  revelry  and  deck  with  priceless  jewels 
the  robes  of  harlots.  Did  the  good  Father  in  Heaven  so 
make  His  world,  so  deal  with  His  children? 

Time  was,  indeed,  when  all  this  was  far  otherwise,  when 
this  Jerusalem  was  the  very  city  of  God,  when  no  uncir- 
cumcised  dared  to  pollute  its  sacred  places,  when  the  voice 
of  the  Almighty  was  heard  in  His  Holy  Temple  and  His 
visible  presence  seen.  To  Jesus  it  is  still  his  Heavenly 
Father's  House.  It  is  made  sacred  by  the  prayers  and 
tears  of  forty  generations  of  his  ancestors.  It  was  the 
place  of  pious  love,  of  praise  and  prayer.  Nom  it  is  the 
unclean  mart  of  proud,  venal,  worldly,  time-serving  aristo- 
crats, who,  the  willing  tools  of  a  foreign  master,  beat  and 
oppress  the  poor,  the  widow,  and  the  orphan,  and  who,  as 
the  prophet  predicted,  had  made  of  God's  house  a  den  of 
thieves. 

Jesus,  thinking  of  all  this,  is  lost  to  all  about  him,  and 
his  eyes  fill  with  tears.  "  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem !  "  he 
murmurs,  half  audibly,  "  which  killest  the  prophets  and 
stonest  them  that  are  sent  unto  thee !  How  would  I 
gather  thy  children  together,  as  a  hen  doth  gather  her 
brood  under  her  wings,  but  ye  will  not." 

While  Jesus  is  standing  gazing  at  Jerusalem,  there  is  at 
first  a  feeling  of  awe  which  creeps  over  the  multitude. 
They  see  the  stern  and  awful  look  grow  in  his  face  as  he 
gazes  on  Jerusalem.  They  see  the  tears  start  from  his 
eyes,  and  see  his  lips  move  almost  as  in  prayer,  and  there 
is  silence.     But  it  is  only  for  a  moment. 

The  signal  agreed  upon  has  been  given,  and  the  par- 
tisans of  Annas  begin  the  cry  of  King.     "  Behold  Israel's 


45S  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

King !  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David !  Blessed  be  the 
King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord !  " 

To  Jacobus,  Helon,  Ehud  and  the  rest,  who  are  gath- 
ered close  by,  this  cry  is  a  surprise,  and  Ave  can  see  that 
they  are  for  a  moment  confused  and  disconcerted  by  it. 
They  consult  hastily  in  whispered  words,  and  then  the 
mighty  Jacobus,  baring  his  head,  shaking  out  his  black 
mane,  and  raising  his  right  hand  aloft,  shouts  the  old 
Zealot  war  cry  and  motto :  "  No  King  but  Jehovah.  Mi 
Camochah  Baelim  Jehovah.  Who  like  thee  among  the 
Gods,  Jehovah." 

The  voice  of  Jacobus,  drowning  all  other  sounds,  rolls 
and  echoes  among  the  hills  like  the  voice  of  an  archangel. 
A  pause,  and  then  like  a  flood  bursting  all  limits,  ten 
thousand  voices  take  up  the  acclaim :  "  Hosanna  to  the 
Son  of  David !  Blessed  be  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord ! " 

The  feeble,  scattering  cry  of  King  is  heard  no  more,  but 
the  hail  to  the  Messiah,  taken  up  and  carried  on  from 
mouth  to  mouth,  rolls  and  swells  and  rolls  and  swells 
down  the  long  slope  of  Olivet,  fills  the  deep  valley  of  the 
Kidron,  and  floats  upwards,  borne  by  a  million  voices, 
through  the  gates  and  over  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

Annas  and  Caiaphas,  sitting  on  the  roof  of  Annas'  palace 
waiting  anxiously  for  tidings,  hear  it  as  the  very  trump 
of  doom.  Pilate,  also,  with  Procula  near  him,  hears  it. 
What  doth  it  portend?  A  swift  messenger  from  Varus 
announces,  "  All  is  well.  The  cry  of  King  is  swallowed  up 
and  lost  in  that  of  Messiah."     Pilate  is  satisfied. 

To  Jesus  it  is  a  moment  of  giddy  triumph.  He  who 
a  few  short  weeks  ago  was  fleeing  for  his  life  as  a  hunted 
fox  upon  the  mountains,  without  where  to  lay  his  head, 
is  offered  a  kingly  crown,  and  what  is  to  him  far  more 
and  greater,  is  hailed  with  universal  acclaim  the  Messiah 
of  God.  To  him  and  the  disciples  in  the  simplicity  of 
their  hearts,  this  multitude  of  all  nations,  languages,  and 


"  AN  EXCEEDING  HIGH  MOUNTAIN  "    453 

tongues,  embracing  perhaps  a  million  souls  and  stretching 
away  in  all  directions  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see,  is  verily 
all  the  world.  Nothing  can  withstand  them:  the  handful 
of  Romans  in  Antonia  can  be  swept  away  like  a  spider's 
web. 

Surely  we  may  know  that  now  the  weakness  of  human 
nature  is  assailing  Jesus ;  the  Devil  has  him  on  an  exceed- 
ing high  mountain,  and  is  showing  him  all  the  kingdoms 
of  tlie  world,  for  is  it  not  written,  "  The  Lord's  house 
shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  all 
nations  shall  flow  unto  it." 

While  Jesus  looks  around  hesitating  and  doubtful,  a 
stranger  approaches  him,  leading  an  ass,  with  a  foal  fol- 
lowing. "  This  is  for  thee  to  ride  into  thy  Kingdom.  I 
was  bade  give  it  thee,"  says  the  man,  addressing  Jesus ; 
then  he  turns  and  is  lost  in  the  crowd. 

While  Jesus  and  the  disciples  stand  wondering,  Helon 
presses  fonvard,  and  addressing  Jesus,  says,  "  It  is  the 
Lord's  gift.  Rememberest  thou  not  the  saying  of  the 
prophet,  '  Behold,  O  daughter  of  Zion,  thy  king  cometh 
riding  upon  an  ass,  with  the  foal  of  an  ass.'  God  himself 
hath  sent  thee  the  ass.  Surely  thou  wilt  not  refuse  so 
plain  a  leading." 

Jacobus  also  comes  forward,  and  with  Judas  Iscariot 
and  Peter  and  Simon  Zelotes  they  all  add  their  entreaties, 
while  Jacobus  throws  his  sheep  skin  coat  on  the  ass's 
back ;  and  without  exercising  any  volition  in  the  matter, 
Jesus  finds  himself  mounted  on  the  animal  amid  renewed 
plaudits,  and  receiving,  as  would  appear,  the  homage  of 
the  world. 

When  Jesus  at  last  raises  his  eyes  and  looks  around,  he 
beholds  a  sea  of  intense  Jewish  faces,  all  radiated  with 
hope,  expectation,  and  adoration,  and  centered  in  him. 
Unconsciously  yielding  to  the  human  instinct,  his  eyes 
finally  seek  among  his  own,  the  disciples  and  the  women, 
the  approval  for  which  his  lieart  most  yearns.     Yes,  they, 


454  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

even  more  than  others,  are  frantic  with  enthusiasm.  The 
disciples  are  spreading  their  outer  garments  in  his  path 
and  tearing  down  palm  and  olive  branches.  The  women, 
to  give  freer  expression  to  their  zeal,  have  pushed  aside 
their  veils  and  are  screaming  Hosannas  at  the  top  of  their 
voices.  One  only,  Mary  of  Magdala,  is  silent.  Jesus 
catches  one  brief  glimpse  of  her  sad,  rebuking  face  as  he 
turns  away. 


Ln 

CLEANSING  THE  TEMPLE 

"Why  does  the  Lord  have  recourse  to  force  when  he  has  hitherto 
done  everything  by  his  word?" — Martin  Luther. 

Following  Jesus  closely  in  the  press,  we  are  able  to  note 
all  that  passes.  Only  a  little  way  from  the  place  where 
Jesus  took  the  ass  we  meet  a  great  company  of  Pilgrims 
that  have  come  out  from  Jerusalem.  They  are  of  those 
who,  coming  from  distant  parts  westward,  as  Egypt  and 
Italy  and  Greece,  have  stopped  first  in  the  city  or  camped 
in  the  valley  of  Hinnom.  They  are  led  by  Menahem,  the 
brother  of  Jacobus,  and  they,  adding  their  Hosannas  to 
those  of  the  multitude  around,  increase  the  enthusiasm  to 
a  degree  that  only  Orientals  ever  indulge. 

There  are  hysterical  women,  and  even  men,  who  yell  and 
jabber  unintelligible  jargon.  Some  fall  into  a  trance. 
The  sick,  the  lame,  and  the  blind,  screaming  frantically, 
struggle  to  cast  themselves  in  the  way,  believing  that  the 
very  breath  or  the  look  of  Jesus  will  heal  them.  At  this 
point  are  stationed  the  Rabbis  Boethus,  Eliab,  and  Alex- 
ander and  others,  and  near  by  are  another  group,  among 
whom  are  Gamaliel  and  Joseph,  and  Nicodemus  with 
Rachel. 

As  the  plaudits  ring  out  louder  and  louder,  Boethus 
says  to  the  others,  rather  sarcastically,  "  You  see  what  all 
our  efforts  have  amounted  to." 

*'  Yes,"  answers  Eliab,  "  the  whole  world  seems  to  have 
gone  after  him.  I  know  not  what  Annas  will  try  to  do 
next." 

While  Eliab  is  speaking,  Gamaliel  presses  forward  and 
Jesus,  noticing  him,  comes  to  a  halt. 

"  This  exhibition  is  transcending  all  bounds,"  Gamaliel 

455 


456  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

says  severely.  "  It  is  not  only  unseemly  but  dangerous. 
You  are  inviting  a  conflict  that,  if  proceeded  in,  must  end 
in  blood  and  slaughter.  You  seem  to  have  supreme 
authority  here,  and  you  should  at  once  give  orders  that 
this  insane  uproar  should  cease." 

Jesus,  looking  sternly, —  we  may  almost  say  proudly, — 
upon  Gamaliel,  answers,  "  The  day  of  peace  and  silence 
is  past.  I  come  now  not  to  bring  peace,  but  a  sword. 
If  these  should  be  silent,  the  very  stones  would  immediately 
cry  out." 

Gamaliel,  with  a  look  of  disgust  but  without  more  words, 
turns  back,  and  the  procession  moves  on.  At  the  valley 
of  the  Kidron  the  disciple  Philip,  who  had  gone  on  be- 
fore, stood  waiting  for  Jesus  to  come  up.  With  great 
difficulty  he  pushed  his  way  In  and  stood  by  the  side  of 
Andrew.  Now,  Andrew  and  Philip  were  very  close 
friends,  and  Philip  sought  Andrew  to  tell  him  what 
seemed  to  him  i^ery  important  news  which  the  Master 
should  know  at  once.  Andrew,  when  he  heard  what  it  was, 
agreed  with  Philip  that  Jesus  should  know  of  it  without 
delay,  and  so  they  both,  by  much  effort,  got  to  Jesus' 
side,  and  told  him  that  a  large  company  of  Greeks  had 
sent  word  that  they  were  friends  of  Jesus  and  desired  to 
see  him,  that  they  might  know  what  to  do. 

Jesus  was  still  more  encouraged  by  this.  The  Jews, 
he  thought,  have  all  come  over  to  my  side ;  and  now  the 
Gentiles  seek  admission.  And  so  he  answered  Philip, 
"  Surely  the  hour  is  come  when  the  Son  of  Man  should  be 
glorified.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a  grain 
of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone; 
but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit." 

This  saying  Philip  and  Andrew  understood  as  mean- 
ing that  the  former  doctrine  of  peace  and  submission, 
being  dead,  had  now  brought  forth  fruit. 

"  He  that  loveth  his  life,"  Jesus  went  on,  "  shall  lose 
it,  and  he  that  hateth  his  life  in  this  world  shall  keep  it 


CLEANSING  THE  TEMPLE  457 

unto  life  eternal.     If  any  man  serve  me,  let  him  follow 
me. 

When  we  arrive  at  the  Temple  in  the  midst  of  the  throng 
assembled  to  witness  Jesus'  entrj',  we  find  a  company  of 
children  before  the  outer  gate,  all  clothed  in  white,  and 
each  with  a  small  banner  and  a  palm  leaf  in  his  hands ;  and 
when  Jesus  alights  from  the  ass,  they  all  begin  crying, 
"  Hosanna !  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David,  the  Messiah 
of  God." 

Helon,  by  whom  this  arrangement  has  been  made,  is  at 
hand  to  apply  the  omen,  and  calls  Jesus'  attention  to  it 
by  saying,  "  Thou  seest  how  the  prophesies  are  here  again 
fulfilled  in  thee  this  day.  As  the  Psalmist  says,  '  Out  of 
the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected 
praise.'  "  Jesus  makes  no  answer,  but  he  remembers  the 
passage  very  well,  and  it  has  its  effect. 

As  is  usual  during  the  exciting  time  of  Passover- Week, 
the  Temple  Guard  has  been  doubled  by  Caiaphas,  and 
Annas'  "  Clubmen,"  with  their  numbers  increased,  have 
received  instructions  to  be  exceedingly  cautious  and  give 
no  offense,  for  the  public  mind  is  well  known  to  be  in  a 
very  excited  state.  But  the  new  leader  of  the  Clubmen, 
a  gigantic  Egyptian  and  a  former  gladiator,  is  anxious 
to  distinguish  himself,  and  this,  added  to  many  other 
causes,  will  bring  about  strange  happenings. 

The  situation  at  this  time  is  more  easily  imagined  than 
described.  The  feeling  that  a  great  crisis  is  at  hand  has 
now  entered  into  every  heart  and  has  possessed  all  parties. 
Nothing  definite  is  known:  nothing  definite  is  planned. 
Everywhere  is  expectation,  hope,  fear,  with  a  sense  of 
something  terrible  impending.  All  is  vague  and  form- 
less, huge,  overshadowing,  irresistible.  The  tension  in  the 
public  mind  is  becoming  painful.  The  noise  and  clamor 
have  grown  proportionately  less,  and  have  at  last  almost 
entirely  ceased.  There  is  the  lull  that  precedes  the  tem- 
pest.    But  if  the  lips  are  silent,  every  heart  is  beating  with 


458  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

an  intense  hope,  or  fear,  or  expectation.     Wliere  will  it 
all  end! 

Pilate  and  Annas,  each  sitting  apart  in  his  own  palace, 
are  gloomy  and  anxious.  Swift  secret  messengers  keep 
them  constantly  informed  of  what  is  passing,  and  they 
issue  their  orders.  Jacobus,  as  indeed  could  hardly  be 
otherwise,  has  been  recognized,  and  Pilate  has  been  noti- 
fied by  Annas,  and  even  importuned  to  arrest  him;  but 
Pilate,  depending  on  information  furnished  by  Varus  and 
knowing  full-well  that  the  arrest  of  the  giant  leader  of  the 
Zealots  at  this  time  means  instant  war  and  terrible 
slaughter,  holds  back  wisely,  keeping  his  bloodliounds  in 
leash. 

From  where  we  stand,  at  the  western  gate  of  the  Tem- 
ple, we  can  see  the  ramparts  of  the  mighty  fortress  of 
Antonia,  which  adjoins  and  overlooks  the  Temple  on  the 
north,  crowded  with  Roman  soldiers  in  arms.  There  are 
ten  thousand  of  these  fierce  warriors  within  its  gates,  eager 
to  be  turned  loose  upon  the  unarmed  multitude.  But  now 
they  are  held  rigorously  in  check  and  are  not  allowed  to 
answer  by  as  much  as  a  word  to  the  jeers  and  impreca- 
tions of  the  throng  below,  by  which  they  are  fiercely 
assailed.  Their  vengeance  can  well  sleep  for  now.  It 
will  draw  an  awful  usury.  This  same  Tenth  Legion, 
whose  tiger  thirst  for  blood  is  now  restrained,  a  generation 
later  will  here  be  more  than  satisfied. 

At  the  moment  when  Jesus  arrived  at  the  Temple,  there 
were  few  worshipers  within :  all  had  turned  out  to  greet  the 
Great  Prophet  of  Nazareth.  The  few  who  remained  in 
the  Temple,  besides  the  officials,  priests,  and  Levites,  were 
poor  wretches,  lonely  strangers,  and  mountain  dwellers 
who  had  scarcely  heard  of  Jesus  and  knew  little  of  what 
the  uproar  was  about.  Among  these  few  was  a  woman, 
bent  and  wrinkled  before  her  time,  who  had  come  up  from 
the  mountains  of  Gibeon  with  a  back  load  of  wood,  which 
she  had  sold  for  a  few  pennies ;  and  fearing  that  she  would 


CLEANSING  THE  TEMPLE  459 

never  again  be  able  to  come  to  Jerusalem,  she  had  entered 
the  Temple  with  the  desire  to  worship  and  make  her  peace 
with  God.  She  was  one  of  the  vile  Amhaartz  who,  though 
a  daughter  of  Jacob,  had  been  brought  up  with  no  more 
knowledge  of  the  laws  of  the  Sanctuary  than  the  super- 
stitious belief  that  to  worship  there  was  an  act  of  saving 
merit.  Without  the  required  gift  and  although  ceremo- 
nially unclean,  she  had  penetrated  to  the  Court  of  the 
Women,  where  it  was  unlawful  for  her  to  be. 

As  Jesus  came  into  the  Great  Court  of  the  Gentiles, 
this  woman  was  being  expelled  from  the  Court  of  the 
Women  with  force  and  blows.  A  portly,  red-faced  Levite 
was  driving  her  before  him,  not  sparing  the  lash  that  he 
carried  in  his  hand  and  crying  out  to  her,  "  Go,  get  thy 
gift !  Go,  get  thy  gift !  "  Jesus  immediately  went  near 
the  woman,  whom  he  at  once  recognized  as  the  girl  who 
had  fallen  asleep  by  Simon's  fire  long  j^ears  ago.  The 
woman,  who  had  never  forgotten,  ran  at  once  to  Jesus, 
and  throwing  herself  on  the  ground  embraced  his  feet 
with  sobs  and  tears.  Jesus  was  deeply  moved,  and  "  un- 
clean "  as  the  woman  was,  he  took  hold  of  her  arm  and 
raised  her  up.  Her  rag  of  a  veil  was  no  protection,  and 
across  her  face  and  her  sunburnt  breast  big,  livid  welts, 
with  trickling  blood,  showed  where  the  lash  of  the  Levite 
had  fallen. 

Meanwhile  the  crowd,  following  Jesus,  has  poured  into 
the  Temple  Court,  and  as  we  look  around  upon  those 
nearest  Jesus,  we  feel  that  there  is  something  portentous 
in  the  number  of  dark,  scowling  faces  that  we  know. 
Jacobus  has  thrown  away  his  disguising  headgear,  and 
stands  now  boldly  confessed  by  Jesus'  side.  And  around 
him  in  close  array  are  his  brothers  Menahem  and  Eleazer, 
Boaz,  Ehud,  and  all  that  band  of  mighty  men  we  saw  and 
knew  at  Og's  old  cave  in  Bashan.  They  bear  no  visible 
arms,  but  to  look  upon  their  dark,  stern  faces,  set  as  in 
bronze,  and  then  upon  the  bared  brawn  of  necks  and  arms 


460  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  breasts,  is  to  know  and  feel  that  even  bare-handed 
they  are  terrible. 

Jesus  himself  is  apparently  oblivious  of  all  this ;  he 
has  no  thought  of  Jacobus  or  his  band,  or  of  Annas  or 
Pilate,  or  of  any  personal  hope  or  fear.  The  poor, 
friendless  woman,  with  her  bloody  scars,  fills  all  his 
thoughts.  A  daughter  of  Israel  driven  from  the  altar, 
not  permitted  to  worship  God!  Struck,  too,  like  a  dog, 
and  by  whom !  —  this  bloated  Levite,  the  willing  tool  of 
thieves,  whoremongers,  adulterers ! !  The  look  on  Jesus' 
face  as  he  turns  to  the  now  cowering  Levite  is  angry  and 
threatening.  The  Levite  turns  and  tries  to  shrink  away, 
but  his  way  is  barred.  The  band  of  Jacobus  closes  round 
him  like  a  wall.     There  is  no  escape. 

And  now  the  cry  is  raised  in  the  crowd  beyond,  "  Make 
way !  Make  way ! "  and  we  see  a  stately  man  in  white, 
priestly  robes,  closely  followed  by  the  well-known  band 
of  Annas'  Clubmen,  making  his  way  towards  us.  Yield- 
ing as  by  second  nature  to  the  reverence  paid  to  priestly 
authority,  the  crowd  gives  way,  and  the  priest,  with  his 
burly  guard,  is  face  to  face  with  Jesus  and  the  Zealots. 
The  priest,  whom  we  now  recognize  as  our  old  acquaint- 
ance Boethus,  with  that  fatal  obduracy  and  pride  so  char- 
acteristic of  his  class  in  all  ages  and  times,  assumes  an 
air  of  lofty  superiority,  and  haughtily  arraigns  Jesus  for 
provoking  a  tumult. 

It  is  the  last  straw,  and  for  once  we  see  Jesus  angry, 
and  almost  violent.  "  Thou  whited  wall !  "  he  exclaims, 
"  and  dost  thou  accuse  me  of  making  trouble?  Remem- 
berest  thou  who  accused  Elijah  of  troubling  Israel.''  This 
place,  which  was  wont  to  be  called  the  house  of  prayer, 
where  weary,  troubled  souls  might  come  and  talk  to  God, 
thou  hast  shut  up  against  those  who  alone  can  truly  pray. 
Instead,  thou  hast  made  of  this  house  of  prayer,  as  the 
prophet  said,  '  a  den  of  thieves.'  Thou  drivest  away 
God's   poor  with   imprecations   and   a   scourge.     Ye   shut 


CLEANSING  THE  TEMPLE  461 

up  not  only  the  Temple  against  men,  but  ye  shut  up 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  against  them ;  for  ye  neither 
go  in  yourselves  nor  suffer  them  that  are  entering  to 
go  in. 

"  Woe  unto  ye  Scribes,  Pharisees,  Hypocrites ;  for  ye 
devour  widows'  houses,  and  for  a  pretense  make  long  pray- 
ers. Ye  are  great  sticklers  for  the  law,  and  require  every 
poor  widow  to  tithe  mint,  anise,  and  cummin.  But  what 
tithe  pay  ye?  The  laws  which  ye  make  yourselves  and 
call  the  traditions  of  the  Fathers  ye  strictly  enforce,  but 
the  laws  that  God  made  for  you,  judgment,  mercy,  and 
faith,  these  ye  disregard.  Woe  unto  you.  Fools,  Blind 
Guides,  Hypocrites,  who  strain  at  a  gnat  and  swallow  a 
camel.  Ye  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  some  rich  Greek 
or  Roman  a  proselyte,  and  Avhcn  he  is  made,  ye  make  him 
twofold  more  the  child  of  hell  than  yourselves.  Woe 
unto  you !  Ye  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and 
platter,  but  inwardly  ye  are  ravening  wolves.  Ye  are 
whitcd  sepulchers,  full  of  dead  men's  bones.  Fools, 
Hypocrites,  Serpents,  generation  of  vipers:  3'ou  deserve 
and  shall  not  escape  the  damnation  of  Hell !  " 

This  tirade,  delivered  by  Jesus  with  unwonted  excite- 
ment and  violence,  is  received  in  breathless  silence  b}'^  the 
vast  throng  that  surrounds  him,  and  Bocthus,  though  his 
lips  curl  with  scorn,  dares  not  answer.  The  very  silence 
is  ominous,  and  even  the  Clubmen,  awed  and  dismayed  by 
a  secret  creeping  horror,  look  from  one  to  the  other  with 
blanched  faces.  The  whole  being  of  Jesus  is  evidently 
moved  to  its  depths,  and  his  appearance,  we  think,  was 
never  so  sternly  august,  so  impressive  and  masterful. 

And  now  raising  his  right  hand  aloft  and  looking  up 
to  the  gold-decked  towers  of  the  Temple  beyond,  he  again 
breaks  forth  as  upon  tlie  slope  of  Olivet :  "  O  Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem !  Thou  that  killest  the  prophets  and  stonest 
them  which  are  sent  unto  thee:  how  would  I  gather  thy 
children  together  as  a  hen  gathercth  her   chickens  under 


462  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

her  wing,  but  ye  will  not ;  and  behold  your  house  shall  be 
left  unto  you  desolate." 

Jesus  paused,  and  in  looking  around  meets  the  blazing 
eye  of  Jacobus.  There  is  no  word  or  nod  or  wink,  but  in 
a  moment  Jacobus  has  seized  the  trembling  Levite  by  the 
shoulder  and  snatched  from  him  the  knotted  scourge ;  this 
he  puts  in  the  hand  of  Jesus,  and  cries  out  fiercely,  "  Is  it 
not  time,  O  thou  Prophet  of  God,  that  this  Temple  of  His 
should  be  cleansed.?  Speak  thou  the  word,  and  it  is 
done !  " 

Jesus  raises  the  scourge,  and  bringing  it  down  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  Levite,  answers  aloud,  "  It  is  time!  " 

The  scene  which  follows  cannot  be  fully  described. 
The  law  forbidding  the  carrying  of  arms  in  the  Temple 
is  so  far  observed  by  Jacobus  and  his  band  that  they  do 
not  make  use  of  other  than  those  which  Nature  gave, — 
and  these  seem  to  be  entirely  sufficient.  The  old  grudge 
against  the  Clubmen  of  Annas,  who  are  armed  with  clubs, 
makes  them  the  first  storm  center,  and  about  them,  as  the 
vortex  of  a  whirlpool,  the  interest  for  the  moment  gathers. 
It  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  describe  the  general  battle. 
We  will  take  but  one  instance:  that  between  Jacobus  and 
the  Egyptian  gladiator.  This  deserves  a  more  extended 
notice. 

When  the  Clubmen  made  their  first  appearance.  Jacobus' 
eye  had  marked  the  burly  leader,  and  when  the  onset  came 
he  sought  him  out  for  his  own.  To  do  him  justice,  it  must 
be  admitted  that  the  Egyptian  seems  equally  eager  to  meet 
Jacobus,  and  now  awaits  his  attack  with  raised  club  and 
contemptuous  eye.  With  marvelous  agility  for  so  large 
a  man,  Jacobus  dodges  the  first  crushing  blow,  and  before 
the  gladiator  can  recover  Jacobus  has  grasped  with  his 
left  hand  the  wrist  that  holds  the  club  and  wrests  the  club 
itself  from  the  gladiator  with  his  right.  But  disdaining 
to  use  any  advantage,  Jacobus  casts  the  club  away  and 
renews    the    battle    without    arms.     The    gladiator,    well 


CLEANSING  THE  TEMPLE  46S 

knowing  that  in  his  training  and  skill  as  a  boxer  lies  his 
chief  strength,  avoids  the  closer  grapple  that  Jacobus 
seeks,  and  succeeds  in  planting  a  terrible  blow  on  the 
cheek  of  the  Zealot  which  sends  him  sprawling  on  the 
pavement,  with  his  face  and  neck  deluged  with  blood. 

The  gladiator  now  promptly  strives  to  bring  the  com- 
bat to  a  finish  by  falling  upon  Jacobus  while  down ;  but 
Jacobus  is  too  quick  for  the  slower  motions  of  his  antag- 
onist, and  is  again  on  his  feet  before  the  gladiator  can  get 
a  full  stroke  at  him.  But  it  is  a  narrow  escape ;  for  as 
Jacobus  springs  up,  a  glancing  blow  on  the  shoulder 
gives  him  a  terrible  shaking  up,  and  for  a  moment  it 
appears  as  if  Jacobus  is  retreating,  defeated.  The 
gladiator,  now  sure  of  his  victim,  with  a  shout  of  cruel 
exultation  presses  close  upon  his  stunned  and  bleeding 
foe. 

By  this  time  the  duel  between  these  two  has  swallowed 
up  all  other  interests,  and  by  mutual  consent  the  hundreds 
of  combatants  elsewhere  in  the  great  court  have  made 
present  truce,  and  every  eye  rests  in  breathless  suspense 
on  this  battle  of  the  giants.  By  a  happy  accident,  on 
the  first  alarm  the  Temple  Guards  had  closed  all  the  gates, 
so  the  crowd  within  the  court  was  not  excessive,  and  an 
open  space  about  Jacobus  and  the  gladiator  was  kept 
clear.  So  now,  when  Jacobus,  having  got  his  breath, 
turns  again,  that  very  moment  a  powerful  voice  from 
among  the  Zealots  rings  out  like  a  trumpet  blast :  "  Mi 
Camochah  Baelim,  Jehovah !  Who  like  thee  among  the 
Gods,  Jehovah !  " 

At  this  there  comes  a  new  look  on  the  face  of  Jacobus ; 
there  is  a  dawning,  wild  light  in  his  eyes,  and  almost  a 
smile  on  his  lips.  Now  again  he  seeks  to  grapple  with  his 
trained  and  skillful  enemy,  avoiding  many  blows  by  agility 
and  native  instinct,  but  receiving  some  body  blows  that 
would  have  killed  an  ordinary  man.  And  so  for  some 
minutes   the  battle   goes   on,   but  now  with  the   gladiator 


464.  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

gradually  giving  ground.  At  length  he  begins  to  show 
evident  weakness,  and  keeps  on  the  defensive;  his  breath 
comes  thick  and  panting,  and  the  fierce  exultation  in  his 
face  has  given  place  to  the  grim,  sullen  despair  of  the 
gladiator  doomed  to  die.  His  pampered  life  as  the  hench- 
man of  Annas  has  sapped  his  strength,  and  while  the 
abstemious  Nazarite  seems  only  to  have  just  awakened  to 
the  fullness  of  his  powers,  the  gladiator  is  obviously  nearly 
spent. 

But  now,  closely  pressed  by  Jacobus,  he  snatches  a 
dagger  from  his  breast  and  before  Jacobus  can  protect 
himself  from  this  new  weapon,  has  inflicted  a  wound  in 
Jacobus'  side.  A  yell  of  execration  goes  up  from  the 
Zealot  throng,  and  many  press  forward  to  interfere.  But 
there  is  no  need;  for  Jacobus  only  smiles,  and  in  another 
instant  his  left  hand  has  grasped  the  wrist  of  the  gladi- 
ator and  his  right  is  upon  his  throat. 

The  end  has  come ! 

The  gladiator,  jammed  back  against  the  wall,  with  pro- 
truding tongue  and  eyes  turned  in  his  head,  makes  one 
more  convulsive  struggle ;  then  the  blood  gushes  from 
mouth  and  nostrils,  and  Jacobus  flings  him  face  foremost 
upon  the  marble  pavement,  dead! 

What  follows  is  soon  told. 

The  Clubmen,  who  had  already  been  roughly  handled, 
when  they  saw  the  terrible  fate  of  their  leader  and  cham- 
pion, made  no  further  stand,  but  turned  and  fled.  Imme- 
diately there  began  that  cleansing  of  the  Temple  which 
every  Zealot  had  hoped  and  prayed  for  since  the  time  of 
the  Maccabees.  No  resistance  was  any  more  off^ered,  and 
the  thousands  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats  held  for  sale 
within  the  Temple  enclosure  were  turned  into  the  street, 
and  all  the  wooden  structures  and  paraphernalia  of  the 
vendors  torn  down  and  cleared  away.  Even  those  sump- 
tuous and  luxurious  offices  of  the  Money  Changers  and 
Bankers  in  Solomon's  Portico  were  wrenched  away,  and 


CLEANSING  THE  TEMPLE  465 

such  of  their  occupants  as  remained  to  protect  were  cast 
cut  with  more  than  necessary  violence. 

Boaz,  remembering  former  insults  and  blows,  sought  out 
that  particular  banker  at  whose  hands  he  had  suffered 
many  years  before,  and  it  may  be  affirmed  that  he  did  not 
forget  usury  in  making  his  return. 

And  so  the  Temple  was  cleansed,  not  with  pleadings  and 
soft  words  but  with  blows  and  blood.  When,  indeed,  in 
this  rough  world  was  a  great  wrong  righted  by  other 
means.'*  Jesus  had  dreamed  of  other  means, —  a  glorious 
dream,  a  dream,  let  us  hope,  yet  on  this  earth  to  be 
realized:  but  not  then  or  there.  His  sanguine  soul  had 
boldly  leaped  the  boundaries  of  all  experience  and  em- 
braced the  Ideal  of  all  the  ages,  and  if  for  the  moment  he 
seems  to  have  forgotten  his  heavenly  birth  and  calling, 
and  become  again  a  mere  Son  of  INIan,  "  in  all  points 
tempted  like  as  we  are,"  drawing  him,  our  brother,  nearer 
to  us,  let  us  not  condemn,  but  be  astonished,  rather,  that 
he  so  quickly  and  so  completely  regained  mastery  of  self 
and  recovered  his  ideal. 

Jesus  had  joy  in  cleansing  the  Temple:  he  had  even 
consented  to  use  force.  In  the  simplicity  of  his  heart  he 
had  looked  to  Jacobus  and  his  fellows,  stern  religionists 
as  they  were,  to  execute  their  commission  in  the  spirit  in 
which  it  was  given,  severely,  but  calmly  and  justly,  if  not 
mercifully.  And  when  he  saw,  with  his  one  word,  the  old, 
inveterate  Jewish  spirit  of  vengeance  leap  forth  like  a 
flame,  demanding  its  eye  for  eye  and  tooth  for  tooth ; 
when  he  saw  the  savage  joy  of  Jacobus  in  battle,  and  the 
horrible,  convulsed  face  of  the  gladiator  cast  dead  at  his 
feet,  his  blood  spattering  his  clothes ;  when  he  saw  how 
Boaz,  with  fiendish  joy,  beat  the  gray  head  of  the  banker 
on  the  stones,  his  heart  sickened,  and  he  turned  away, 
thrown  again  into  the  wavering  balance  of  Despair. 


LIII 
FEAR 

"  Fear  is  a  carrion  crow !  and  though  you  see  not  well  what  he 
hovers  for,  there  is  death  somewhere.  Our  property  is  timid;  our 
laws  are  timid;  our  cultivated  classes  are  timid.  Fear  for  ages  has 
boded  and  mowed  and  gibbered  over  Government  and  property." — 
Emerson. 

And  so  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple  was  not  complete. 
When  the  traffickers,  speculators,  and  bankers  had  been 
expelled  from  the  great  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  Jesus  for- 
bade any  further  violence,  and  the  inner  courts,  those  of 
the  Women,  of  Israel  and  of  the  Priests,  with  all  the 
absurd  and  intricate  complications  of  the  altar  service, 
were  left  inviolate. 

Jesus  and  his  disciples  were  stealing  away  in  the  dusk  of 
evening,  when  Jacobus  and  his  compeers  came  upon  them 
and  demanded  to  know  what  the  plans  were  for  the  mor- 
row. Jesus  told  them  plainly  that  he  had  no  plans,  but 
that  he  could  not  countenance  any  further  violence  at 
present.     They  should  wait  and  leave  all  to  God. 

"  By  faith  and  prayer,"  he  said,  "  far  greater  things 
than  we  have  in  hand  have  been  done.  By  faith  and 
prayer  the  sun  was  stopped  in  his  course,  and  the  sea 
opened  to  its  depths,  the  walls  of  Jericho  were  thrown 
down ;  and  our  Father  Abraham,  when  he  would  have 
offered  Isaac,  withheld  his  hand,  and  behold,  a  ram  in  the 
thicket  was  given  in  place  of  his  son." 

There  were  murmurings  and  black  looks  from  Helon, 
Ehud,  and  some  others,  but  Jacobus  and  his  brethren,  who, 
unlike  Ehud  and  Helon,  had  never  been  outside  of  Pales- 
tine, were  too  purely  Jews  not  still  to  believe  in  the 
miraculous  and  were  sufficiently  impressed  by  Jesus'  assur- 
ances still  to  be  willing  to  wait. 

466 


FEAR  467 

Later  in  the  night  there  was  a  stormy  meeting  in  the 
secret  underground  chamber  before  described,  and  Jacobus 
was  obhged  to  exercise  his  utmost  authority  to  prevent  the 
faction  of  Helon  and  Ehud  from  openly  appearing  in 
arms.  It  was  well  urged  by  them  that  probably  never 
again  would  there  be  at  hand  so  large  a  number  of  Zealots 
from  all  over  the  world  as  now.  Sufficient  arms  were  at 
hand  to  equip  an  army.  The  demand,  they  said,  for  a 
great  change  was  universal,  and  the  expectation  of  it 
equally  so.  As  for  Jesus'  leadership,  they  were  more  than 
ever  against  it.  They  contended  that  such  vacillation 
and  weakness  as  he  had  shown  that  day  was  sufficient  to 
condemn  him.  More  strongly  and  openly  than  ever  they 
hinted  that  Jesus  was  insane,  possessed  of  a  Devil. 

But  these  extremists  were  not  sustained.  The  majority, 
with  Jacobus,  still  clung  to  the  belief  that  by  some  awful 
and  stupendous  miracle  Jesus  would  yet  vindicate  him- 
self. Those  strains  of  mysterious  and  prophetic  utter- 
ance about  the  end  of  the  world,  with  earthquakes,  appear- 
ances in  the  heavens,  the  stars  falling,  the  sun  darkened, 
and  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  with  Angels  and 
trumpets,  had  made  the  same  impression  on  Jacobus  and 
his  brethren  that  it  had  upon  the  disciples  and  thousands 
of  others  in  Israel.  It  created  a  firm  belief  in  them  and 
in  all  the  early  Church,  and  has  not  been  wholly  obliter- 
ated at  the  present  hour. 

Still  saturated  with  the  aged  and  inveterate  Jewish 
superstition  that  believed  in  all  the  stupendous  miracles 
related  of  the  early  time,  a  return  to  God  logically  meant 
to  them  a  return  to  like  manifestations.  Jacobus  and  his 
brethren  and  the  disciples  were  not  different  from  those  of 
their  countrymen  who,  a  generation  later,  in  hourly  expec- 
tation of  Almighty  aid,  refused  on  Sabbath  to  move  a 
hand  in  defense  of  Jerusalem's  walls,  crumbling  beneath 
the  assaults  of  the  Roman  army. 

At  the  same  time,  in  the  palaces  of  Annas  and  of  Pilate 


468  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

there  were  stir  and  agitation.  Caiaphas  and  others  of  their 
cabal  were  in  a  panic  of  fear,  and  were  ready  to  give  up 
all  for  lost;  but  the  more  resolute  Annas  quieted  them, 
and  began  more  systematically  to  organize  defense.  Mes- 
sengers were  sent  off  to  various  points  and  were  coming 
and  going  till  far  into  the  night.  At  last  Annas  suc- 
ceeded in  exciting  serious  alarm  in  Pilate,  and  swift  horse- 
men were  despatched  by  him  after  midnight  to  give  orders 
for  the  garrisons  of  various  cities  to  come  on  to  Jerusalem 
at  once.  Even  Pilate's  old  enemy,  Antipas,  at  Tiberias, 
was  asked  by  Pilate  to  come  with  all  the  troops  he  could 
muster.  As  "  misery  makes  strange  bed  fellows,"  so  in 
this  case  a  common  peril  drew  these  enemies  together. 
Antipas,  knowing  that  a  successful  revolt  at  Jerusalem 
meant  his  own  downfall,  responded  at  once  to  Pilate's 
request  and  came  in  person  to  Jerusalem  with  the  soldiers, 
—  with  the  result  that  Pilate  and  Antipas  became  friends. 

At  the  house  of  Nicodemus,  besides  Nicodemus  and 
Joseph,  there  were  few  present.  Gamaliel  was  conspicu- 
ous by  his  absence.  Alone  in  his  own  house,  he  was  con- 
gratulating himself  that  he  had  never  in  any  way  been 
committed  to  the  support  of  Jesus,  for  he  saw  now,  as  did 
Nicodemus  and  Joseph,  that  the  case  was  hopeless,  and  he 
washed  his  hands  of  it.  He  went  calmly  to  bed,  thanking 
God  that  he  had  been  so  providentially  preserved  from 
entangling  alliances.  At  the  house  of  Nicodemus,  a 
nobler  and  juster  feeling  prevailed,  though  equally  hope- 
less. Knowing,  as  they  now  did,  the  disposition  and 
resources  of  Pilate  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  implacable 
hatred  of  Annas  and  his  cabal  on  the  other,  they  saw  very 
clearly  that  there  remained  no  safety  for  Jesus  but  to 
repeat  the  action  of  former  occasions  and  take  to  flight. 

If  he  persisted  in  his  apparent  design  of  cleansing  and 
changing  the  whole  system  of  religious  observances  in  the 
Temple,  so  boldly  begun  that  day,  they  realized  that  there 
could    be    only    one    result    possible:    with    their    broader 


FEAR  469 

knowledge  and  experience  of  affairs  they  knew  that  the 
mob  of  Zealots,  however  numerous  and  devoted,  would 
only  be  as  sheep  for  the  slaughter  before  the  disciplined, 
steel-clad  legionaries  of  Rome.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
Jesus  could  be  prevailed  upon  to  stop  where  he  was  and 
attempt  no  further  innovation,  the  case  for  him,  person- 
ally, was  scarcely  better:  he  had  already  offended  past 
forgiveness,  and  his  only  safety  lay  in  flight. 

Such  being  the  conclusion  arrived  at,  a  trusty  messenger 
was  dispatched  to  find  Jesus  and  communicate  to  him  what 
was  passing,  and  to  warn  him  against  entering  the  city 
affain. 


LIV 
OLIVET 

"  No  instance  of  the  neglect  of  the  Law  by  Jesus  can  be  estab- 
lished."—  Keim. 

We  must  go  back  a  little.  When  Jesus  reached  Beth- 
any and  began  to  be  entertained  at  the  house  of  Simon  the 
Leper,  for  reasons  that  will  readily  suggest  themselves  his 
women  followers  were  dispersed,  and  found  entertainment 
where  they  could.  It  will  be  remembered  that  by  the 
friendliness  of  Margaloth,  the  steward  of  Honorius,  Jesus 
had  escaped  from  the  dungeon  at  Tiberias.  For  this 
offense  Margaloth  had  been  discharged  from  service  with 
Honorius,  and  had  afterwards  found  a  place  of  trust  in 
the  household  of  Annas  at  Jerusalem. 

Mary  of  Magdala  knew  of  this,  and  now  sought  shelter 
with  Margaloth.  In  the  vast  palace  of  Annas,  with  its 
hundreds  of  slaves  and  servants,  it  was  easy  for  Marga- 
loth to  find  place  for  Mary.  She  was  there  on  the  day 
when  the  Temple  was  cleansed.  She  knew  Jerusalem  well, 
also  this  palace  of  Annas,  where  she  had  often  been  with 
Honorius.  Mingling  with  the  crowd  about  the  Temple 
during  and  after  the  cleansing,  Mary  had  heard  and  seen 
enough  to  excite  her  fears,  and  she  hastened  away,  first 
to  the  house  of  Nicodemus,  where  she  conferred  with 
Rachel,  and  then  to  the  house  of  Annas. 

From  Rachel  she  learned  that  her  father  despaired  of 
success  in  the  revolution  begun  that  day,  for  he  had  been 
informed  by  Varus  that  though  Pilate  would  not  interfere 
so  long  as  the  fight  was  about  customs  and  observances,  he 
thought  the  change  had  gone  far  enough  and  would  tol- 
erate no  further  innovations.  If  the  movement  to  expel 
Caiaphas  and  the  ruling  Priesthood  should  be  renewed  on 

470 


OLIVET  471 

the  morrow,  It  was  believed  that  Pilate  would  order  out  the 
soldiery  and  there  would  be  boundless  massacre,  if  not  war. 

At  the  house  of  Annas  Mary  was  placed  by  Margaloth 
where  she  could  secretly  hear  what  was  passing  in  the  inner 
chamber,  where  Annas  and  his  satellites  were  that  night 
assembled.  Mary  heard  here  from  the  mouth  of  Annas 
that  Pilate  had  promised  to  turn  out  the  Legions  on  the 
morrow  in  case  of  further  trouble,  and  then  she  hastened 
away  to  find  Jesus. 

Knowing  his  character  and  habits  so  well,  she  had  little 
difficulty  in  finding  him.  She  knew  that  he  would  be 
passing  the  night  alone,  and  probably  on  the  mount  of 
Olives.  And  there  she  found  him.  It  was  a  clear,  beau- 
tiful night,  with  the  big  moon  in  the  east  casting  its  level 
rays  adown  the  slope  of  Olivet  and  making  it  almost  as 
light  as  day.  The  whole  scene  was  one  of  magical  charm 
and  beauty ;  but  Jesus  was  oblivious  of  it.  He  sat  under 
an  old  olive  tree,  and  around  him  was  all  that  wealth  and 
skill  could  do  to  beautify  and  adorn.  Olivet  was  a  gar- 
den. The  palm  trees'  heavy  plumes  hung  dark  over  wind- 
ing wa3^s  and  sylvan  bowers.  The  odor  of  blossoming 
grape  and  orange  filled  the  air,  and  flowers  were  growing 
everywhere.  Above,  revealed  sharply  in  the  moonlight, 
towered  the  crest  of  Olivet,  and  far  below,  dark  stiU  in 
shadow,  yawned  the  deep  valley  of  the  Kidron ;  and  then, 
beyond  again,  arose  the  mighty  wall  of  David,  shining 
white  as  snow ;  and  yet  more  distant  and  over  all,  the  white 
and  gold  of  Temple  Towers  lifted  in  solemn  grandeur 
towards  the  stars. 

A  few  steps  aside  from  where  Jesus  was  In  the  shelter 
of  a  rock-hewn  wall  and  revealed  clearly  in  the  moonlight, 
the  Twelve  lay  asleep.  IVIary  had  passed  them  silently  as 
she  came  along.  They  were  very  weary  with  the  day's  ex- 
citement, and  slept  care-free  and  sound.  When  Mary 
found  Jesus  she  cast  herself  at  his  feet,  and  remained 
there  silent  till  Jesus  spoke  to  her. 


47^  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  What  seekest  thou? "  he  said.  "  Rise  up  and  tell 
what  troubleth  thee." 

Then  Mary  arose  to  her  knees,  and  told  what  she  had 
heard,  and  begged  Jesus  to  have  no  more  to  do  with  the 
Zealots.  "  They  are  indeed  brave  and  true,"  she  said, 
"  but  they  are  not  as  thou  art ;  they  cannot  be :  their 
hearts  are  hard,  and  they  cannot  understand." 

Jesus  raised  himself  and  looked  tenderly  upon  Mary, 
with  a  love  beyond  and  above  that  of  lover  or  husband  or 
father  or  son, —  with  the  love  of  a  Friend.  Mary,  alone 
of  all  earthly  creatures,  divined  what  was  deepest  in  the 
heart  of  the  Divine  Man.  Pure  Love  is  itself  a  divine 
thing !  And  those  only  who  have  it  can  divine.  Mary 
divined.  Jesus  knew  before, —  his  heart  told  him, —  that 
what  Mary  said  was  true  and  yet  it  needed  that  she  should 
tell  him.  It  confirmed  in  him  a  resolution  only  half 
formed,  and  (such  is  the  power  of  vital  sympathy)  gave 
him  clearness  and  strength  where  before  was  wavering  and 
almost  despair. 

Jesus  sent  Mary  away  with  words  of  love  and  blessing 
that  were  as  balm  to  her  troubled  heart ;  for  Jesus  did  not 
burden  her  with  the  deeper  problems  that  remained  yet 
unsolved.  Mary  had  seen  clearly  and  truly  where  the  one 
great  pivotal  truth  was.  With  a  woman's  simple  straight- 
forwardness, she  had  understood  that  the  great  thing  for 
Jesus  to  do  was  to  break  loose  from  the  Zealots.  The 
difficulties  and  final  results  of  such  an  act,  with  a  woman's 
characteristic  reluctance  to  consider  remoter  consequences, 
she  did  not  at  first  see,  and  she  went  away  relieved  and 
almost   satisfied. 

These  difficulties  and  consequences  were  left  for  Jesus 
to  meet  and  answer  as  between  himself  and  God.  It  could 
not  be  otherwise.  In  such  struggles  there  can  be  no  inter- 
mediary. The  soul  of  a  man,  freeing  itself  from  all 
earthly  and  earthy  garniture  and  impediments,  joins  itself 


OLIVET  473 

to  the  free  spirit  of  the  Universe:  it  comes  in  vital  touch 
with  its  source,  and  becomes  absolute. 

After  what  had  passed  that  day,  after  accepting  the 
services  of  Jacobus  and  his  band,  and  thus  by  that  accept- 
ance in  a  marked  manner  endorsing  their  action,  Jesus, 
with  his  noble  and  just  sense  of  obligation,  felt  that  now 
to  turn  his  back  on  them  and  repudiate  their  action  would 
appear  not  only  ungrateful  but  cowardly  and  contemptible. 
Jacobus  had  been  his  friend  and  most  devoted  admirer  al- 
most from  childhood ;  he  had  now  freely  risked  his  life  in 
a  most  perilous  adventure  for  him  and  in  his  cause.  More- 
over, to  Jesus,  who  had  no  comprehension  of  the  prodig- 
ious power  of  Rome,  it  seemed  certain  that  a  revolution 
could  be  accomplished  by  force  and  arms.  Surely  these 
patriots,  burning  with  zeal  for  the  Law  and  liberty,  whose 
wild  Hosannas  still  rang  in  his  ears,  would  make  short 
work  of  the  Roman  soldiers  shut  up  in  Antonia.  And 
with  them  destroyed  and  Annas  and  Caiaphas  put  away, — 
surely  the  Kingdom  of  God  was  at  the  door ! 

And  not  only  were  the  Zealots  and  nearly  all  of  this 
vast  throng  of  Pilgrims  who  were  in  and  about  Jerusalem 
looking  for  him  to  lead  forward  on  the  morrow  and  finish 
the  work  so  well  begun,  but  his  own  chosen  twelve  and  the 
women  (except  Mary  Magdalene)  would,  as  he  knew,  be 
filled  with  disgust  and  disappointment  if  he  should  refuse. 

Again,  Jesus  knew  that  he  had  already  given  mortal 
offense  to  the  hierarchical  power  in  Jerusalem,  from  whom 
no  forgiveness  was  possible,  and  that  his  death  alone  would 
satisfy  them.  It  was  clearly  far  safer  for  him  personally 
to  say  nothing  of  the  glory  and  the  advancement  of  his 
cause  and  Kingdom,  to  press  forward,  than  to  pause  or 
turn  back. 

If  he  went  forward,  he  had  the  support,  so  it  seemed,  of 
millions  of  zealous  patriots  and  fellow-countrymen.  If  he 
held  back,  he  was  sure  to  be  left  alone  and  defenseless 
against  the  cruel  mercies  of  enemies  whose  very  religion 


474  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

was  vengeance.  But  through  and  over  all,  Jesus  remem- 
bered as  a  frightful  dream  the  little  image  of  war  he  had 
that  day  seen  in  the  Temple, —  the  agonized,  contorted  face 
of  the  dying  gladiator,  the  horrible,  bloody  visage  of  the 
gray-haired  banker  crushed  upon  the  stones :  and  then  more 
distant  in  memory  but  still  vivid  as  of  yesterday,  that  other 
awful  scene  of  slaughter  at  the  cave  of  Og.  These  scenes 
of  blood  and  vengeance  were  graven  on  his  mind  and  heart 
as  with  a  stylus  of  fire ;  he  could  not  put  them  away ;  he 
could  not  condone  or  excuse  them.  God,  the  Father  of  all, 
did  not  so  intend  for  this  beautiful  world  and  for  His 
children. 

Thinking  of  these  things,  with  first  one  side  prevailing 
and  then  the  other,  and  with  a  prayer  like  a  sob  ever  in  his 
heart,  Jesus  passes  the  night.  He  does  not  notice  when  the 
stars  and  the  moon  begin  to  fade  and  the  light  of  day  to 
steal  over  the  hill.  All  around  him  is  movement.  Far  and 
near  the  millions  of  Israel,  encamped  in  the  open  and  in 
Jerusalem  itself,  are  up,  listening  and  watching  for  the 
call  to  worship  from  the  watchman  on  the  Temple  Pinnacle. 
The  air  is  clear ;  there  is  no  breath  of  wind,  no  cloud.  Far 
away  southward  the  arid  hills  of  Hebron  rise  in  sharp  out- 
line in  the  growing  light,  and  now,  like  a  tongue  of  flame, 
the  polished  gold  of  the  Temple  Pinnacle  flashes  back  the 
first  beams  of  the  rising  sun.  Then  wafted  across  the  still 
dark  valley  of  the  Kidron,  sounds  faint  with  distance  the 
stentor  voice  of  the  watchman,  followed  by  three  blasts  of 
the  silver  trumpet,  calling  Israel  to  prayer. 

And  now  the  disciples  are  astir,  and  Jesus,  recalled  to 
himself,  arises  to  his  feet  and  attempts  to  walk.  He  stag- 
gers and  almost  falls.  He  is  stiff"  and  chilled  to  the  bone. 
The  night  has  been  cold,  for  it  is  April.  The  disciples, 
shamefaced  and  silent,  gather  around,  and  at  length  they 
all  join  in  the  morning  prayer. 


LV 
SUSPENSE 

"  Now  in  the  morning,  as  he  returned  into  the  city,  he  hungered." 
—  Math,  xxi-18. 

In  the  excited  state  of  the  public  mind,  eager  not  only 
to  see  and  hear  but  to  communicate,  news  flew  as  if  on  the 
wings  of  the  wind.  It  was  already  everywhere  known  that 
Jesus  had  arrested  the  overthrow  in  the  Temple,  and  the 
rumor  had  gone  out  that  without  force  or  arms  a  great 
change  would  shortly  be  effected  by  Heaven-sent  miracles 
and  prodigies,  such  as  were  witnessed  in  the  olden  time. 
What  and  how  was  only  conjectured,  as  was  also  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  new  state  was  to  be  a  Kingdom  or  a  re- 
turn to  the  Patriarchal  condition.  Some  said  one  thing 
and  some  another,  and  all  was  confusion,  with  impatient 
waiting  and  expectation. 

At  an  early  hour  the  Temple  and  its  environs  were  packed 
with  solid  masses  of  people  waiting  and  looking  for  some 
stupendous  manifestation  of  power.  If  we  join  the  throng 
about  the  Temple  gate  and  listen  but  for  a  moment,  we  shall 
get  the  drift  of  the  common  thought. 

"  No,"  one  is  answering  to  the  question  of  another,  "  the 
Master  has  not  been  seen  since  last  night  at  set  of  sun. 
Some  say  that  he  has  been  taken  up  as  was  Elijah,  which 
may  well  be,  for  he  is  to  appear  in  the  clouds  with  Angels 
and  trumpets  and  lightnings,  and  if  he  appears  in  the 
clouds  he  must  first  go  up." 

This  proposition,  duly  weighed  by  the  attentive  listen- 
ers, was  accepted  as  self-evident,  and  all  eyes  were  turned 
towards  the  sky.  In  the  east  were  some  light,  fleecy  clouds 
that  the  sun  had  not  yet  dissipated,  and  one  remarked, 
"  Those  clouds  in  the  east  seem  to  me  very  different  from 

475 


476  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ordinary.  See  how  they  do  not  move  in  any  particular 
direction,  but  seem  to  swell  and  curl  as  if  they  meant  some- 
thing." 

And  now  all  eyes  watch  the  clouds  till  they  shortly  be- 
gin to  fade  away  and  disappear ;  and  then,  drawing  a  deep 
breath  after  the  long  suspense,  another  speaker  says,  "  'Tis 
said  that  a  raven  or  a  buzzard  or  some  such  foul  bird  lit 
on  the  Temple  Tower  yesternight,  where  no  bird  ever  lit 
before  *  and  fouled  the  gold  of  the  pinnacle.  Didst  hear 
about  it.?" 

All  the  listeners  are  anxious  to  be  told  more  about  the 
ominous  bird,  but  the  relater  of  the  rumor  can  give  no  de- 
tails. Another,  in  the  crowd,  however,  gives  the  additional 
information  that  the  bird  cried,  "  Woe,  Woe,  Woe !  "  and 
flew  away  to  the  Dead  Sea. 

"  And  that  may  well  be,"  answers  another,  "  for  the 
Master  has  said  that  this  Temple,  built  by  the  heathenish 
tyrant,  Herod,  will  be  destroyed,  and  that  he  will  build  a 
better  one,  clean  and  pure  and  holy,  and  do  it  all  in  three 
days." 

"  Aye,  and  it  is  the  only  way,  I  doubt,"  answers  an- 
other, who  by  his  garb  may  be  known  as  a  Pilgrim  from 
Babylonia.  "  It  is  now  as  in  the  days  of  Moses  and  Aaron ; 
and  these  false  priests  and  lawyers  and  doctors  and  thiev- 
ing money-changers  are  as  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram, 
The  earth  will  open  and  a  fire  from  the  Lord  consume 
them." 

"  Amen  and  Amen,"  answer  a  dozen  voices  among  the 
listeners. 

All  eyes  are  now  turned  to  the  Babylonian,  whose  man- 
ners and  appearance  show  him  to  be  a  man  of  some  conse- 
quence ;  and  the  first  speaker  addresses  him :  "  By  thy 
speech  and  dress  thou  art  one  of  the  dispersed.  May  I 
ask  of  thee  how  this  time  is  regarded  beyond  Euphrates  ?  " 

*  The  Temple  roof  was  protected  by  sharp  points  to  prevent  birds 
from  alighting  on  it. 


SUSPENSE  477 

*'  As  is  thy  heart  here,  so  is  our  heart :  we  are  one  peo- 
ple," answers  the  Babylonian  gravely. 

"And  do  you  look  for  the  Messiah,  as  do  we?"  con- 
tinues the  first  speaker. 

"  Much  the  same,  no  doubt,"  answers  the  stranger,  and 
then  he  goes  on :  "  It  is  ncai'ly  forty  years  now  since  the 
star  of  the  Messiah  appeared  in  the  east,  and  many  of  our 
Rabbis  thought  then  that  he  would  immediately  appear; 
but  now,  after  deeper  study  of  the  Scriptures,  thc}^  say 
that  when  the  star  appeared,  then  was  the  Messiah  born 
into  the  world  as  the  Son  of  Man  spoken  of  by  the  prophet 
Daniel ;  born  of  a  virgin,  and  near  to  Bethlehem.  This 
Son  of  Man,  they  say,  must  now  be,  as  this  Jesus,  about 
forty  years  old.  But  the  Messiah  of  the  Scripture  is  to 
be  a  warrior  king,  a  true  son  of  David,  who  will  destroy 
all  enemies  and  restore  the  Kingdom  to  Israel,  wliile  this 
Jesus,  they  say,  is  not  of  Bethlehem  at  all  but  of  Naz- 
areth, and  is  a  carpenter's  son,  knowing  nothing  of  war." 

Meanwhile  Jesus  and  the  disciples,  having  spent  the 
night  on  Olivet,  were  on  their  way  to  Jerusalem.  In  the 
excitement  and  exaltation  of  the  last  few  days,  when  the 
disciples  were  in  daily  expectation  that  the  Kingdom  of 
God  would  immediately  appear,  they  had  naturally  fallen 
into  great  disorder  as  a  community.  Jesus  himself  had 
been  profuse  in  giving  to  the  poor  and  the  bag  of  Judas 
had  become  entirely  empty.  Separation  from  the  women 
had  also  a  bad,  disintegrating  effect.  Not  only  w^ere  they 
cut  off  from  the  contributions  of  the  rich  Joanna  and 
Susanna,  but  they  suffered  from  the  lack  of  those  soften- 
ing and  humanizing  influences  and  womanly  attentions  that 
belong  to  the  household  and  to  domestic  habits. 

This  morning  found  the  little  company,  after  a  night  of 
exposure  and  hardship,  hungry,  cold,  and  miserable.  There 
was  no  food,  nor  water  at  hand  for  washing.  There  was 
grumbling  and  fault-finding  and  even  quarreling.  Judas 
was  accused  by   John  of   improvidence   and  carelessness. 


478  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

which  brought  out  an  angry  retort  from  Judas,  who  ac- 
cused John  of  luxury  and  idleness. 

Jesus,  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts,  did  not  at  first 
notice,  but  finally,  when  the  voices  had  grown  very  loud, 
with  some  oaths  and  other  offensive  words,  he  called  them 
to  order,  and  with  a  manner  so  sad  and  sorrowful  that  they 
were  put  to  shame.  Jesus  himself  was  faint  with  hunger, 
and  seeing  an  old  fig  tree  by  the  roadside,  he  went  to  it 
hoping  that,  as  often  happens,  some  poor,  dried  up  re- 
mains of  last  year's  crop  might  be  found  upon  it.  But 
there  was  nothing,  and  Jesus,  in  a  very  human  way, 
yielded  to  his  misery  and  spoke  of  the  barren  fig  tree  with 
such  marked  irritation  and  impatience  that  the  disciples 
were  astonished,  even  shocked  by  it.  Some  years  later  one 
of  the  disciples,  passing  that  way,  noticed  that  the  old  fig 
tree  was  dead,  and  he  remembered  how  Jesus  had,  as  he 
said,  "  cursed  it." 

When  Jesus  arrived  at  the  Temple,  he  was  respectfully 
received  by  the  waiting  throng,  and  a  way  opened  for  him 
and  the  disciples  to  enter ;  but  there  was  no  demonstration 
as  on  the  first  day.  Everyone  was  waiting:  the  whole  at- 
titude of  the  public  mind,  of  all  men  and  all  parties,  may 
be  expressed  by  the  one  word  suspense.  Jesus'  enormous 
personal  influence  and  power,  as  shown  on  the  first  day, 
and  on  that  day  felt  and  observed  by  all,  was  the  chief 
element  and  the  unknown  quantity,  in  the  equation,  which 
it  was  believed  was  this  day  to  be  solved. 

What  would  Jesus  do?  was  the  question  upon  which  all 
hung.  With  all  their  control  of  the  national  resources  and 
the  assurance  that  Pilate  with  all  his  soldiery  would  pro- 
tect them  in  possession,  the  cabal  of  Annas  was  still  fear- 
ful, and  to  avoid  all  manner  of  off*ense  they  had  made  no 
attempt  to  restore  the  business  of  the  Great  Court.  Every- 
thing was  left  as  it  was  when  Jesus  withdrew,  and  not  a 
soldier  or  a  Temple  Guard  was  in  sight.  The  sacrifices  on 
the  Great  Altar  and  all  the  formalities  of  the  inner  courts 


SUSPENSE  479 

were  proceeded  with  as  usual.  There  was  no  interference 
with  Jesus'  speaking  to  the  multitude.  As  on  other  occa- 
sions and  without  entering  the  more  sacred  precincts,  he 
sat  the  whole  day  in  tlie  Royal  Porch,  as  was  his  wont,  an- 
swering questions  and  telling  stories. 

Many  of  the  doctors  and  lawyers  and  priests  about 
Jerusalem  had  disdained  ever  to  go  out  into  the  country  to 
see  and  hear  Jesus,  and  so  had  never  seen  him.  Now  that 
he  had  risen  to  such  importance  in  affairs  and  was  attract- 
ing so  much  attention,  they  thought  it  worth  while  to  con- 
descend enough  to  go  and  see  him.  They  were  mostly  of 
that  class  of  men  we  call  "  smart,"  not  outwardly  so 
haughty  and  supercilious,  but  more  of  the  cast  of  the 
demagogue,  ready  of  speech,  keen,  witty,  familiar,  possess- 
ing much  superficial  learning,  and  fond  of  debate.  They 
thought  to  make  short  work  of  this  home-spun  prophet  of 
despised  Nazareth. 

And  so  they  came  upon  him,  one  group  after  another, 
with  their  artful  law-riddles  and  critical  canons,  to  go 
away  not  only  silenced  and  overthrown  but  mystified  and 
perplexed.  For,  after  showing  such  mastery  of  himself  and 
his  subject,  as  is  so  manifest  in  his  answers  about  the  tax 
to  Caesar,  the  woman  who  was  wife  to  seven  brethren,  and 
the  woman  taken  in  adultery,  he  would  go  off  into  mys- 
terious discourse  about  the  Father  and  himself  being  one, 
of  how  those  who  followed  him  and  kept  his  words  should 
not  die,  of  how  Abraham  had  rejoiced  to  see  his  day,  and 
how  he  could  lay  down  his  life  and  take  it  again  at 
pleasure.  Such  discourse,  to  the  worldly-minded  Rabbis, 
was  no  more  than  the  insane  maunderings  of  a  lunatic,  and 
to  the  listening  multitude  was  mysterious  and  prophetic 
utterance  not  intended  to  be  easily  understood. 

By  mid-afternoon  of  this  day  Annas  and  Caiaphas  began 
to  breathe  more  freely,  and  at  night,  when  Jesus  went 
quietly  away  with  his  disciples,  they  were  jubilant:  the 
crisis,  they  believed,  had  passed. 


480  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

In  the  early  morning,  a  legion  of  Roman  soldiers  had 
marched  in  past  the  Temple  to  Antonia,  and  Annas  had  in- 
structed his  secret  emissaries  to  spread  abroad  the  story  that 
a  great  army  was  at  hand  to  repel  further  attacks.  He  be- 
lieved that  Jesus  was  now  overawed  and  in  fear ;  and  with 
the  sagacity  and  promptness  of  a  military  leader,  he  re- 
solved to  push  his  advantage  at  once  and  to  the  utmost. 
He  knew  well  that  to  make  a  victory  complete  the  repulse 
must  be  followed  instantly  by  the  charge  and  pursuit. 

All  that  night  there  was  the  sound  of  saws  and  hammers 
and  busy  workmen  calling  to  each  other  in  the  Temple 
Porticos,  and  by  morning  the  solid  structures  which  Jacobus 
and  his  band  had  demolished  were  replaced  by  temporary 
wooden  arrangements  that  would  suffice  for  the  present  oc- 
casion, and  could  be  replaced  at  leisure  by  even  more  costly 
and  elaborate  structures  than  those  destroyed.  The  herds 
of  sheep  and  oxen  and  goats  were  brought  back,  and  doves 
in  sufficient  numbers  were  again  exposed  for  sale  in  great 
cages  and  hampers.  The  money-changers  or  bankers,  with 
their  pyramids  of  shining  gold  displayed  on  tables,  were 
back  in  their  old  stands. 


LVI 
A  FALLING  BAROIVIETER 

"The  multitude  indeed,  disappointed  by  seeing  no  signs  of  the 
national  movement  they  had  expected  that  day  to  inaugurate,  had 
lost  their  enthusiasm  and  in  many  cases  grown  even  hostile." — Geikie. 

And  so  the  next  morning,  the  second  after  the  cleansing, 
when  the  people  assembled  at  the  Temple  and  saw  what  had 
been  done  in  the  night,  and  observed  at  the  Temple  en- 
trance huge  placards  announcing  that  the  price  of  all 
animals  and  doves  had  been  advanced  to  a  higher  figure 
than  before,  they  were  not  slow  to  adopt  conclusions  that 
were  very  damaging  to  the  prestige  of  Jesus. 

The  effect  was  like  a  cold  rain  in  summer ;  and  when  Jesus, 
arriving  late  from  far-off  Bethany,  came  up  to  the  Tem- 
ple, though  the  way  was  opened  up  for  him  and  silent  re- 
spect shown,  his  sensitive  soul  felt  and  recorded  the  change 
in  public  feeling  with  the  scientific  accuracy  of  a  true 
barometer.  The  simple  disciples,  still  looking  for  the 
world-moving  miracle,  saw  nothing,  and  Jesus  did  not  dis- 
turb their  restful  trust  by  telling  them  his  fears.  Even  to 
the  last,  only  in  obscure  and  mysterious  hints  which  they 
did  not  understand,  did  he  speak  to  them  of  the  end,  which 
to  him  began  this  day  to  appear  more  certain  and  near. 

But  Jesus  did  not  now  falter  or  flinch.  He  resumed  his 
teaching  in  the  Temple  Portico  as  usual,  and  performed 
one  of  the  miracles  recorded  of  him.  The  story  of  this 
miracle,  handed  down  to  us  from  that  ancient  time,  is  as 
follows. 

In  Jerusalem,  near  the  Temple,  was  a  pool  of  water 
which  for  a  long  time  had  been  held  sacred,  because  at 
certain  times  an  angel  from  God  came  down  and  made  a 
commotion  in  the  waters  of  the  pool,  which  was  to  indicate 

481 


482  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

to  those  who  saw  it  that  the  waters  were  at  that  moment, 
by  the  angel's  touch,  imbued  with  a  mysterious  and  super- 
natural quality  and  power  of  healing,  so  that  he  who  first 
stepped  into  the  pool  at  the  time  of  the  stirring  by  the 
angel  was  cured  of  whatever  sickness  or  infirmity  he  might 
have.  This  remedial  quality  or  power  communicated  to 
the  waters  by  the  angel  was  so  limited  in  its  amount  and 
scope  that  it  sufficed  but  for  one  person  at  a  time,  so  that, 
though  there  was  at  all  times  "  a  great  multitude  "  of  sick 
and  infirm  people  anxiously  waiting  and  watching  about 
the  pool,  only  one  of  the  whole  number  could  possibly  ex- 
pect to  get  any  relief,  and  all  the  rest  had  to  wait  for  that 
uncertain  time  when  the  angel  should  find  it  convenient  to 
visit  the  pool  again. 

Now  Jesus  in  his  walks  about  the  Temple  came  upon 
this  pool,  where  in  their  rags  and  filth  lay  "  a  great  multi- 
tude of  impotent  folk,"  waiting  for  the  angel  to  come  and 
stir  the  waters.  They  apparently  had  not  heard  the  re- 
port that  Jesus  healed  by  his  word  all  who  were  brought  to 
him,  and  had  lately  at  a  place  two  miles  away  raised  one 
from  the  grave,  for  they  gave  no  heed  to  Jesus  when  he 
appeared  among  them,  and  he  was  obliged  to  make  the 
first  advances  towards  making  their  acquaintance. 

But  seeing  one  sturdy  beggar  who  had  lain  about  the 
Temple  precincts  and  the  pool  for,  it  was  said,  thirty-eight 
years,  Jesus  approached  and  questioned  him.  What  Jesus, 
with  his  faculty  of  seeing  into  the  hearts  of  men,  may  have 
concluded  about  this  man,  we  can  only. conjecture  by  what 
he  said  to  him.  With  kingly  dignity  and  that  tone  of 
authority,  which  was  so  marked  in  Jesus,  he  bade  the  man 
to  take  up  his  poor  pallet  of  straw  and  other  belongings 
and  go  away.  The  man  without  a  word  of  dissent  obeyed, 
and  when  some  time  after  Jesus  met  the  man  walking  about 
in  the  Temple,  he  spoke  to  him  warningly,  and  told  him  to 
beware  and  sin  no  more  or  a  worse  thing  would  come  on 
him. 


A  FALLING  BAROMETER  483 

This  solitary  instance  of  healing  by  Jesus  at  this  time  is 
somewhat  remarkable,  for  by  no  account  does  it  appear 
that  of  all  the  multitude  of  impotent  folk,  poor,  homeless 
wretches,  waiting  and  watching  long  years  about  the  pool, 
Jesus  healed  other  than  this  one. 

So  the  day  passed,  and  at  night  Jesus  and  the  disciples, 
finding  no  accommodation  in  the  city  and  wishing  not  to 
overburden  the  friends  at  Bethany,  retired  to  spend  the 
night  again  on  Olivet.  The  suspense  and  doubt  of  the 
previous  day  had  not  wholly  subsided  in  the  public  mind, 
and  at  night  there  were  again  meetings  and  discussions. 

At  the  palace  of  Annas,  where  the  chief  rulers  of  Jerusa- 
lem are  assembled,  exultation  is  still  much  tempered  with 
fear,  and  the  arrest  of  Jesus,  now  the  great  question  of 
the  hour,  is  hotly  debated.  There  is  much  speaking  for 
and  against,  some  affirming  that  Jesus'  influence  is  steadily 
on  the  increase  and  that  if  he  is  arrested  now  Pilate  will 
be  forced,  even  if  against  his  will,  to  sustain  the  party  of 
law  and  order.  This  view  is  opposed  by  Annas,  who  de- 
clares that  though  of  course  the  arrest  of  Jesus  must  now 
be  the  one  aim  and  object,  the  time,  he  says,  is  not  yet  ripe. 
They  must  still  further  undermine  and  destroy  Jesus'  in- 
fluence with  the  people  before  they  can  safely  proceed  to 
extremities.  The  arrest  of  Jesus  now,  he  thinks,  would  be 
certain  to  cause  an  insurrection,  which  would  offend  Pilate. 

At  the  old  palace  of  Herod,  Pilate,  far  into  the  small 
hours,  is  in  deep  consultation  with  Varus  and  others,  re- 
ceiving and  sending  dispatches  and  striving  to  comprehend 
the  vagaries  of  this  strange  people  he  has  been  called  to 
rule.  Annas  is  still  plying  him  with  fearsome  accounts  of 
bloodthirsty  Zealots  and  artful  Hcrodians  who  intend  to 
make  Jesus  King,  and  he  has  authentic  accounts  from  Varus 
that  Jacobus  himself  was  one  of  the  band  who  made  such 
an  unaccountable  attack  upon  the  Temple  officials.  Pro- 
cula  has  explained  to  him  the  party  differences,  and  Varus 
assures  him  that  he  still  feels  sure  that  neither  Jesus  nor 


484  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  party  of  NIcodemus  has  any  intention  of  employing 
force;  but  still  Pilate  is  suspicious  and  anxious  and  only 
half  satisfied. 

At  the  house  of  Nicodemus  there  is  still  anxiety  and  fear. 
Gamaliel  is  there,  and  Joseph  and  others.  Nicodemus, 
comprehending  the  situation  better  than  any  other,  is  still 
far  from  clear  as  to  methods  or  results.  He  is  a  man  of 
peace,  hating  war  almost  as  much  as  Jesus,  and  he  knows 
Avell  that  in  the  state  of  the  public  mind  as  it  has  been  this 
day,  any  slight  accident  of  word  or  deed  may  precipitate 
a  most  terrible  conflict.  With  three  millions  of  Jews  in 
and  about  Jerusalem,  mostly  fanatics,  wild  with  dreams  of 
a  restored  Kingdom  and  Messianic  glories,  he  feels  that 
nothing  but  the  guiding  hand  of  God  can  bring  them 
safely  through.  Jesus  alone  he  still  thinks  might  avert 
disaster  by  withdrawing  from  the  city.  But  this  he  has 
refused  to  do,  with  a  result  such  as  no  man  can  yet  know. 

Long  after  midnight,  when  Nicodemus  is  at  last  alone, 
Rachel  comes  to  him  with  an  account  of  what  Mary  of 
Magdala  has  just  told  her,  that  Jesus  has  gone  away,  as 
she  thinks,  to  Bethany,  to  spend  the  night  with  some  old 
friends  of  his  fdmily.  There  is  a  gleam  of  hope  in  this, — 
possibly  Jesus  will  not  come  again  to  Jerusalem.  About 
this  Mary  has  expressed  doubt ;  she  could  not  tell.  She 
was  on  her  way  to  the  house  of  Annas  to  learn  what  she 
could  there  of  Margaloth.  And  Rachel  tells  her  father  how 
the  faithful  Mary,  with  labors  and  journey ings  and  mid- 
night watchings,  is  growing  thin  and  wasted.  More  and 
more,  Rachel  loves  Mary,  thinking  nothing  of  her  past. 

The  meeting  of  the  Zealots  this  night  is  even  more 
stormy  than  the  one  of  the  night  before.  The  party  of 
Helon  and  Ehud  declare  that  they  will  have  nothing  more 
to  do  with  Jesus  in  any  event.  Helon,  with  fervid  elo- 
quence and  masterly  logic,  shows  how  Jesus  is  a  failure, 
and  can  no  more  be  looked  upon  as  the  Messiah.  And  Ehud, 
in  a  violent,  passionate  speech,  declares  that  by  adliering  to 


A  FALLING  BAROMETER  485 

this  "  wizard  "  and  waiting  for  him  to  lead,  they  have  al- 
ready lost  the  supreme  moment,  the  one  great  opportunity 
of  their  lives.  Had  they  pressed  forward  on  the  first  day, 
he  says,  regardless  of  Jesus'  command  to  desist,  suc- 
cess was  then  assured.  All  the  people  were  with  them ; 
but  now,  he  says,  there  is  hesitation,  doubt,  uncertainty 
everywhere.  The  people  have  looked  all  day  for  miracles 
and  they  have  got  only  sermons  and  riddles  that  they  do 
not  understand,  and  meantime  Pilate  is  filling  Jerusalem 
with  soldiers  from  everywhere.  Even  Jesus*  own  disciples, 
Ehud  declares,  are  sick  and  disgusted  with  Jesus'  uncertain 
and  vacillating  policy.  He  has  talked  with  some  of  them 
this  day,  he  says,  and  found  them  extremely  dissatisfied. 
One  at  least,  he  asserts,  would  come  over  to  them  at  any 
time  they  would  act  independently. 

Jacobus,  still  enthralled  by  the  personal  influence  of 
Jesus  and  by  his  inborn,  ineradicable  faith  in  the  mirac- 
ulous, refuses  to  change,  and  from  this  moment  begins 
that  split  in  the  party  of  the  Zealots  which  a  generation 
later  is  to  cause  the  insane  sacrifice  of  thousands  of  pre- 
cious lives  and  lose  forever  to  the  children  of  Abraham  their 
Nation,  their  land,  and  their  City  of  God.  This  meeting 
of  the  Zealots  broke  up  in  angry  dispute,  with  nothing 
concluded  or  determined  upon. 


LVII 
MARY  AND  HELON 

"God  offers   to  every  mind  its  choice  between  truth  and  repose. 
Take  which  you  please :  you  can  never  have  both." —  Emerson. 

Days  and  nights  have  passed,  and  the  day  of  the  feast 
of  the  Passover  is  near  at  hand.  To  the  common  eye,  there 
appears  but  httle  change  in  and  about  Jerusalem.  Jesus 
has  continued  to  teach  daily  in  the  Temple,  arguing  with 
and  refuting  the  Rabbis  and  teaching  the  people.  That 
high,  exalted,  and  somewhat  haughty  manner  into  which 
Jesus  was  betrayed  on  the  first  day  he  has  wholly  laid  aside, 
and  again  he  has  become  the  gentle,  loving  teacher  and 
friend  of  the  old  days  of  Galilee  and  the  lake  shore.  He 
still  employs  his  old  method  of  telling  stories  to  attract  the 
people's  attention  and  enlist  their  sympathies ;  but  be- 
neath it  all,  as  of  old,  is  the  one  Great  Theme, —  the  Law 
of  Love,  the  Law  of  Love ! 

The  excitement  among  the  people  has  largely  subsided, 
and  it  is  so  reported  to  Annas  and  to  Pilate.  The  Zealots, 
now  at  almost  deadly  feud  among  themselves,  have  ceased 
to  be  the  great  and  imminent  peril  that  they  were,  though 
the  extent  of  their  disagreement  is  unknown  either  to  Annas 
or  Pilate,  and  they  still  live  with  the  fear  of  these  im- 
placable and  fearless  sectaries  ever  before  their  eyes. 

Pilate,  through  the  pleadings  of  Procula  and  the  ad- 
vice of  Varus,  has  given  the  final  "  no  "  to  the  importuni- 
ties of  Annas  to  arrest  Jesus,  thus  throwing  the  responsi- 
bility of  such  an  act  wholly  upon  the  Jewish  rulers  and 
making  it  easy  for  him  to  escape  whatever  odium  may  at- 
tach to  such  a  lawless  proceeding. 

Meanwhile,  the  true  character  of  the  woman  Mary  of 
Magdala  begins  at  this  time  of  trial  more  plainly  to  ap- 

486 


MARY  AND  HELON  487 

pear.  Except  by  the  women,  who  still  hold  her  aloof, 
Mary  had  come  to  be  held  in  highest  regard.  Her  own  ex- 
emplary conduct,  together  with  Jesus'  manifest  respect  for 
her,  had  placed  her  high  in  the  estimation  of  all.  Even 
the  artful  Rabbi  Helon  sought  her  out  as  the  most  power- 
ful intermediary  to  influence  Jesus.  He  had  little  faith  in 
Jesus,  and  would  gladly  have  discarded  him  altogether; 
but  this  he  found  it  impossible  to  do,  and  so  he  still  sought 
to  use  him. 

Helon  had  made  diligent  inquiries  about  Mary  and  had 
become  acquainted  with  her  past,  and  thought  he  could  use 
her  for  his  purposes.  He  represented  to  her  how  easy  it 
would  be  for  Jesus  to  become,  if  not  King,  at  least  the 
head  and  leader  of  Israel,  and  what  a  glorious  future  was 
open  before  him.  He  would  not  even  need  to  fight  at  all 
himself :  in  that  he  could  adhere  rigidly  to  his  principles ; 
he  would  only  have  to  lend  his  name  to  the  Great  Cause ;  he 
could  be  a  second  ]Moses.  Then  Helon  artfully  suggested 
how  she,  Mary  herself,  would  profit  by  such  a  course.  In- 
stead of  being  the  servant  of  servants,  homeless,  wander- 
ing, and  despised,  as  the  beloved  of  the  King  she  could  sit 
on  a  throne  and  take  vengeance  on  all  of  her  enemies.  It 
was  forbidden  for  a  Rabbi  to  speak  to  a  woman,  even  his 
own  wife,  in  a  public  place,  and  Helon  had  found  means  to 
meet  with  ]Mary  at  night  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane. 

Mary  was  not  disturbed,  but  answered  the  Rabbi  calmly, 
though  sadly.  "  I  fear  thou  dost  not  know  Jesus,  O  Rabbi 
Helon.  It  seems  strange,  and  yet  I  suppose  it  is  God's 
will,  as  Jesus  says,  '  that  seeing,  they  might  not  see,  and 
hearing,  they  might  not  understand.'  The  disciples  are 
all  so ;  they,  too,  are  looking  for  a  Kingdom  with  riches 
and  honors  and  thrones,  and  only  to-day  they  were  quar- 
reling about  who  should  be  greatest.  But  thou,  a  Master 
in  Israel,  shouldst  be  able  to  see  and  to  understand.  I  pray 
thee,  go  as  a  little  child  and  sit  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  thou 
wilt  no  more  seek  to  buy  him  or  me  with  baubles." 


488  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Mary  said  no  more,  and  the  Rabbi,  gathering  his  cloak 
about  him,  went  his  way  astonished.  And  Mary,  in  the 
deep  shadow  of  palm  branches,  sat  still  and  waited.  After 
a  time  there  was  a  step  on  the  paved  walk  and  the  tall  form 
of  Jesus  was  before  her.  Mary  cast  herself  at  Jesus'  feet 
without  a  word  and  remained  silent.  Jesus  raised  her  up 
and  made  her  sit  down,  while  he  himself  stood  and  looked 
sadly  upon  her.  "  Thou  art  troubled  about  something. 
What  is  it  ?  "  he  asked  kindly. 

And  then  Mary  went  on  and  told  how,  by  the  help  of 
Margaloth,  she  had  heard  with  her  own  ears  the  final  de- 
cision of  Annas  and  his  cabal  to  arrest  Jesus,  and  how 
they  designed  to  manage  to  have  him  crucified.  She  pro- 
duced new  evidence  of  the  defection  of  Judas,  and  told  of 
the  attempts  that  were  being  made  to  draw  away  Peter 
and  others.  She  told  how  the  cabal  were  still  afraid  to 
arrest  Jesus  in  the  daytime  and  among  the  people,  for  they 
still  feared  that  Jacobus  and  the  Zealots  would  provoke  an 
uprising  if  it  was  done  openly ;  and  so  they  would  be  seek- 
ing him  at  night,  and  even  that  night.  Mary  besought 
Jesus  to  go  away  from  Jerusalem  at  once.  Annas,  she 
said,  would  not  pursue  him  into  Galilee,  and  there  he  would 
be  safe. 

Jesus  listened  silently  to  all  that  Mary  had  to  say,  and 
then  with  a  sigh  he  sat  down  on  a  stone  seat  opposite  to 
Mary.  After  a  long  silence  he  began  speaking.  "  It  is, 
perhaps,  the  last  time,"  he  said,  "  that  we  can  speak  to- 
gether in  this  way,  and  it  is  your  due  that  I  should  tell 
you  while  I  may  that  neither  my  eyes  nor  my  heart  are 
shut  to  what  you  have  done  and  are  doing.  I  know,  too, 
that  more  than  others  your  heart  is  open  to  the  truth.  It 
has  pleased  God  to  hide  the  truth  from  the  wise  and  pru- 
dent and  to  reveal  it  unto  babes.  Who  loveth  much,  the 
same  also  seeth,  heareth,  and  knoweth  much.  The  heart 
made  pure  with  love  safely  pervades  not  only  Heaven,  but 
Hell." 


MARY  AND  HELON  489 

Jesus  paused,  and  in  the  silence  they  could  hear  the 
tramp  of  a  body  of  men  not  far  away.  Then  by  the  glare 
of  torches  carried  by  servants  dressed  in  the  livery  of  the 
High  Priest,  they  could  see  approaching  a  considerable 
number  of  men,  some  of  the  Temple  Guard  armed  with 
swords,  and  some  of  the  Clubmen  armed  with  stout  staves. 
They  were  without  discipline  or  efficient  leadership,  and 
were  prating  indiscreetly  as  they  came  straggling  along. 
From  their  talk  it  was  apparent  to  Jesus  and  Mary  that 
they  were  in  search  of  Jesus ;  but  their  efforts  to  find  him 
Mere  evidently  very  perfunctory,  and  Jesus  and  Mary,  who 
were  sitting  somewhat  aside  in  a  little  bypath,  were  not 
seen.     When  they  had  passed  along  Jesus  resumed. 

"  It  is  no  longer  meet  that  I  should  flee  away.  So  long 
as  I  am  with  them,  this  people  will  still  look  for  a  King. 
As  sayeth  the  prophet,  *  God  hath  blinded  their  eyes  and 
hardened  their  hearts,  that  they  should  not  see  with  their 
eyes  nor  understand  with  their  heart  and  be  converted,  and 
I  should  heal  them.'  No  prophet  hath  been  believed  till 
God  took  him  away.  Even  so  must  it  be  now.  The  law 
of  sacrifice  was  from  the  beginning.  The  blood  of  Abel's 
lamb  was  accepted  of  God,  and  Moses  required  the  first- 
lings of  the  flock.  These  things,  because  of  the  hardness 
of  men's  hearts,  God  winked  at ;  but  now  old  things  are 
passed  away  and  all  things  are  become  new.  The  old  bot- 
tles will  not  hold  the  new  wine.  Till  now  men  have  sac- 
rificed of  their  flocks  and  herds  and  first  fruits ;  now  they 
must  sacrifice  themselves,  and  he  is  nearest  God  who  gives 
most  of  himself.     He  who  gives  his  life  gives  all." 

Jesus  paused.  Beneath  them  in  the  deep  gorge  of  the 
Kidron,  where  thousands  of  Pilgrims  were  encamped,  there 
were  moving  lights,  and  the  murmur  of  the  great  throng 
came  swelling  up  at  intervals,  then  sank  and  sank  and 
died  away.  Beyond,  the  innumerable  lights  of  the  Great 
City  flashed  and  gleamed,  and  dim  against  the  starry  sky 
the  Temple  Towers  were  visible.     On  this  side,  up  on  Olivet 


490  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

towards  Bethany,  the  moving  torches  of  the  Temple  Guard 
were  jet  in  sight,  but  the  murmur  of  the  Guard  had  died 
away ;  then  no  sound  was  heard  but  the  faint  splash  of  the 
fountain  near  by  among  the  palms. 

Suddenly  from  a  tree  overhead  a  nightingale  began  its 
sad,  sweet  song.  Jesus  did  not  consciously  hear,  but  Mary 
bowed  her  head  upon  her  knees,  and  when  the  bird  had 
ceased,  her  repressed  sobs  broke  the  silence  like  a  cry  of 
pain.  Jesus  was  startled  by  it,  and  arising  to  his  feet,  he 
approached  Mary,  and  putting  his  hand  on  her  bent  head, 
said  tenderly,  "  Weep  not,  but  count  it  all  gain  that  thou 
art  found  worthy  to  suffer." 

Mary,  with  a  sudden  movement,  caught  Jesus'  hand  to 
her  lips  and  bathed  it  with  her  tears.  Jesus  withdrew  his 
hand  slowly,  and  with  a  solemn  benediction  went  away  into 
the  night,  leaving  Mary  alone. 


LVIII 
BETHANY 

"  In  the  Gospel  accounts  there  are  such  remarkable  divergencies  in 
detail,  some  of  which  seem  to  imply  a  different  standpoint  from 
which  the  same  truth  is  viewed." —  Edersheim. 

The  next  night  there  was  a  great  supper  at  the  house  of 
Simon  the  leper.  Jesus  himself  had  at  this  time  a  stand- 
ing invitation  to  make  this  his  home  when  in  Bethany,  but 
he  generally  preferred  to  spend  the  night  alone  or  with  his 
disciples,  who  were  not  invited  to  Bethany.  Jesus,  after  the 
days  of  labor  and  excitement  in  Jerusalem,  felt  the  need 
of  being  alone,  and  his  life-long  nomadic  habits  made  it 
comparatively  easy  for  him  to  spend  his  nights  in  the  open 
air. 

But  the  sisters  of  Simon,  Mary  and  Martha,  on  hear- 
ing of  the  homeless  condition  of  the  disciples  and  not  real- 
izing that  these  rude  fishermen  were  used  to  a  rough  life, 
thought  that  they  must  do  something  to  make  this  festive 
season  a  little  pleasanter  for  them,  and  so  they  told  Jesus 
to  bring  all  of  his  disciples  to  take  supper  with  them. 
Mary  and  Martha  had  a  reputation  for  hospitality  and  en- 
tertainment. Their  supper  was  a  banquet  where  nothing 
was  spared  that  would  make  it  pleasingly  memorable  to 
their  guests.  Imitating  the  luxury  that  then  prevailed  in 
Jerusalem,  they  had  great  variety  of  meats  and  pastry,  and 
of  drinks  there  were  offered  in  extremely  small  goblets 
wines  of  various  vintages,  even  iced  wine  from  Lebanon, 
spiced  wine,  and  wine  with  myrrh  and  absinthe,  also  beer 
from  Babylon,  barley  wine  from  Egypt,  and  native  apple- 
cider  ;  but  there  was  no  drunkenness. 

The  worst  offense  of  the  disciples  was  a  total  ignorance 
and  disregard  of  etiquette  and  a  rudeness  of  behavior  that 

491 


492  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

was  quite  shocking  to  Mary  and  Martha ;  but  Simon,  with 
the  tact  of  an  accomphshed  gentleman,  passed  all  off  with 
rare  pleasantry  and  good  humor.  The  disciples,  to  whom 
such  an  entertainment  was  heretofore  unknown,  were 
charmed  and  flattered  by  it,  and  enjoyed  it  immensely. 
Jesus  alone  knew  of  the  danger  that  threatened  him,  and 
he  would  not  mar  the  occasion  by  intruding  his  personal 
sorrows  or  fears.  Though  he  ate  and  drank  with  ex- 
treme moderation,  he  joined  in  all  with  a  beautiful  courtesy 
and  a  hearty  comraderie  that  Simon,  polished  gentleman  as 
he  was,  was  amazed  and  delighted  by  it. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  feast,  when  the  after-dinner  wine 
had  been  brought  in,  there  appeared  a  tall,  strange  woman 
in  the  banquet  room.  She  had  come  in  through  an  un- 
guarded back  passage,  and  went  straight  to  Jesus. 
Though  closely  veiled,  with  her  eyes  only  visible,  her 
presence  and  bearing  were  dignified  and  commanding,  and 
instantly  the  babble  of  voices  and  the  noisy  clatter  of  dishes 
ceased.  Jesus  looked  at  the  woman  steadfastly,  while  his 
face  changed  from  grave  to  sad,  the  saddest  that  might  be 
seen  in  this  sad  world ;  but  he  did  not  speak.  The  woman, 
disengaging  from  a  heavy  gold  chain  about  her  neck  a 
small,  beautifully  designed  flask  of  alabaster,  broke  off"  the 
neck  and  poured  the  contents  on  Jesus'  head.  The  oint- 
ment was  the  famous  "  Indian  Nard,"  very  costly  and  so 
fragrant  that  the  odor  of  it  filled  the  room  and  all  about 
with  a  penetrating  but  delicate  perfume. 

After  emptying  the  flask,  the  woman  cast  herself  at 
Jesus'  feet,  which  were  bare,  and  as  her  tears  (for  she  was 
weeping)  fell  upon  his  feet,  with  a  single  swift  movement 
she  loosened  the  great  mass  of  her  hair,  which  then  fell 
about  Jesus'  feet  and  with  that  the  woman  wiped  off'  her 
tears.  Jesus  did  not  speak  to  the  woman  or  interfere  with 
what  she  did.  After  a  time  she  got  up,  and  as  silently  as 
she  had  entered,  left  the  room  and  disappeared. 

Mary  of  Magdala  was  too  singular  in  appearance  and 


BETHANY  493 

too  well  known  not  to  be  recognized  both  by  Mary  and 
Martha,  who  were  shocked  and  even  scandalized  by  such 
an  outlandish  proceeding.  But  both  they  and  Simon  were 
too  well-bred  to  make  any  comment  on  the  incident  and 
immediately  tried  to  divert  attention  to  other  things,  but 
the  dissatisfaction  of  the  disciples  could  not  be  altogether 
repressed.  They  all  knew  it  was  Mary,  and  they  knew  that 
the  costly  nard  must  have  been  long  in  her  possession, — • 
probably  a  gift  from  Honorius  in  the  old,  sinful  days; 
in  their  present  poverty  they  felt  that  she  should  have  sold 
it,  and  turned  in  the  price  to  the  common  fund.  Judas  es- 
pecially, upon  whom  fell  the  labor  and  care  of  providing 
and  whose  bag  had  of  late  been  for  the  most  part  empty, 
was  more  than  the  others  outspoken,  and  made  complaint 
to  Jesus  that  such  waste  should  not,  in  their  present  state 
of  need,  have  been  tolerated.  This  was  not  the  first  evi- 
dence that  Jesus  had  had  of  the  dissatisfaction  of  Judas. 

He  had  long  known  that  Judas,  with  his  ultra-Jewish 
prejudices  and  leanings  towards  the  Zealots,  was  becoming 
more  and  more  detached  from  his  cause  and  more  and  more 
disposed  to  factious  faultfinding.  The  jealous  solicitude 
of  Mary  had  long  marked  his  growing  disloyalty,  and  both 
she  and  John  had  warned  Jesus  of  the  danger  of  trusting 
him. 

On  this  occasion  many  of  the  other  disciples  besides 
Judas  were  displeased,  and  seeing  that  Mary  and  Martha 
were  disapproving,  they  made  bold  to  express  themselves. 
But  Jesus  mildly  reproved  them,  and  without  giving  very 
clear  reasons,  justified  Mary.  He  knew  that  her  anoint- 
ing was  with  reference  to  his  death  and  burial,  though  he 
did  not  say  so.  Mary  did  not  hope  to  be  able  to  meet  him 
again  after  he  was  arrested  and  that,  she  knew,  might  take 
place  that  night  or  at  any  time.  Jesus'  gentle  and  manly 
spirit  would  not  permit  him  to  pain  his  hosts  or  his  dis- 
ciples with  any  allusion  to  such  a  gloomy  and  sorrowful 
theme,  and  it  was  only  afterwards  that  they  connected 
Mary's  anointing  with  the  final  catastrophe. 


LIX 
JUDAS 

"  This  betrayal  of  the  Master  is  so  unexpected,  so  incredible,  so 
horrible;  it  so  alarmingly  threatens  not  only  belief  in  all  human 
fidelity,  but  also  in  the  dignity  and  greatness  of  Jesus,  that  some 
have  attempted  to  prove  that  the  betrayal  by  Judas  was  a  fiction 
of  Christian  fancy." —  Keim. 

Through  his  spies  Annas  had  early  learned  that  there 
was  some  falling  off  among  the  disciples  and  that  Judas, 
more  than  the  others,  was  growing  dissatisfied.  Annas 
took  pains  to  search  out  the  character,  lineage,  and  native 
place  of  Judas,  so  as  to  know  how  best  to  approach  him. 
He  found  that  Judas,  alone  of  all  the  twelve,  was  of  Judea, 
and  came  of  a  family  noted  under  the  elder  Maccabees  for 
bigoted  zeal  for  the  Law.  With  this  cue,  Annas,  by  his 
agents,  had  plied  Judas  with  artful  arguments,  to  show 
that  Jesus,  so  far  from  being  a  restorer,  was  really  a  de- 
stroyer, of  Moses  and  the  Law.  Of  course  there  was 
much  to  support  this  theory,  and  the  wedge  of  doubt  once 
entered,  Judas  from  day  to  day  saw  more  and  more  to  con- 
vince him  that  Jesus  was  a  rank  innovator,  if  not  an  im- 
postor. 

To  add  to  this  estranging  influence,  Helon  and  Ehud 
had  also  found  means  to  approach  Judas,  and  they  now 
told  him  that  the  Zealots  as  a  whole  had  decided  that  Jesus 
was  only  an  artful  adventurer  and  thaumaturgist,  and  was 
no  more  worthy  to  be  followed  than  Simon  Magus  or  any 
other  conjuror.  At  the  time,  these  arguments  had  seemed 
to  have  little  effect  on  Judas,  but  they  proved  to  be  seeds 
planted  in  a  rich  soil,  which  sprang  up,  like  Jonah's  gourd, 
flourished  for  a  day,  and  were  cut  down. 

Then,  too,  Judas  had  begun  to  have  personal  griev- 
ances.    John  had   accused  him   of  misappropriating   the 

494 


JUDAS        .  495 

funds  intrusted  to  him,  and  even  of  being  a  thief.  Judas 
had  complained  to  Jesus  about  this,  but  Jesus  had  only 
good-naturedly  told  him  a  story  and  put  him  off.  Judas 
was  of  a  hot,  choleric  temper,  not  open  and  ingenuous  like 
Peter,  but  dark,  moody,  and  vengeful.  At  the  supper  at 
Bethany,  in  addition  to  the  offensive  affair  of  the  anoint- 
ing, he  had  received  fresh  affronts  from  John,  which  Jesus 
had  not  rebuked.  Judas,  making  the  excuse  of  urgent 
business,  withdrew  at  an  early  hour,  filled  with  disgust  and 
resentment,  and  bent  his  steps  towards  Jerusalem. 

As  he  walked  on,  reflecting  upon  all  the  incidents  and 
events  of  the  past,  he  felt  so  confirmed  in  his  rebellion 
against  Jesus  that  he  wondered  in  himself  why  he  had  been 
so  long  deceived.  He  went  over  the  past,  and  everything 
now  seemed  so  plain.  What  a  fool  he  had  been !  He  had 
seen  the  august  dignity  and  splendor  of  the  Jerusalem 
hierarchy  in  possession  of  all  the  symbols  of  the  ancient 
religion,  surrounded  by  the  magnificence  of  wealth  and 
power  and  pride,  and  maintained  by  all  the  strength  of 
Rome ;  and  now  to  think  that  Jesus,  with  a  few  boorish 
fishermen  from  despised  Galilee,  should  overthrow  all  this 
without  visible  means  and  set  themselves  on  thrones,  judg- 
ing the  w  orld.  How  preposterous !  Besides,  Jesus  him- 
self had  commanded  them  to  observe  and  do  what  the  rulers 
at  Jerusalem  commanded.  "  They  are  in  Moses'  seat," 
he  had  said. 

Then  such  a  fiasco  as  that  of  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple ! 
Clearly  Jesus  was  a  failure !  He  no  longer  performed  any 
miracles ;  he  did  nothing  as  promised  for  his  friends ;  and 
he  weakly  refused  to  smite  his  enemies  when  he  had  a 
chance,  and  was  now  deserted  by  the  people  and  by  the 
Zealots  themselves.  He  was  without  resources.  There 
was  scarcely  money  enough  left  in  the  bag  to  buy  the  Pass- 
over Lamb,  and  many  of  the  disciples  needed  new  coats  for 
the  festival.  And  Judas  looked  at  his  own  soiled  and 
ragged  gaberdine  and  frowned  grimly. 


496  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  And  yet  we  are  thinking  and  talking  of  sitting  on 
thrones,  and  quarrehng  about  who  shall  have  the  highest 
place.  And  that  beardless  boy  John,  who  is  always  nag- 
ging me  about  something  and  whom  the  Master  seems  to 
love  so  much ;  he  thinks  he  is  to  have  first  place  and  lord  it 
over  the  rest  of  us.  Bah !  "  And  Judas  made  an  impatient 
gesture,  and  walked  on  more  rapidly ;  but  soon  he  mod- 
erated his  pace,  and  finally,  as  he  came  down  to  the  bottom 
of  the  Kidron,  he  stopped  and  sat  down  on  a  seat  by  the 
roadside.  "  And  yet  here  am  I,  too,  still  thinking  of  that 
same  thing !  Sitting  on  one  of  those  twelve  thrones,  and 
fearing  lest  John  should  have  a  higher  one.  What  do  I 
really  believe  about  it,  anyway,  and  what  does  it  all  mean ! 
Wonderful,  what  a  power  that  man  has  over  people !  I 
should  think  I  was  a  fool,  if  I  were  the  only  one ;  but  when 
such  men  as  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  and  others  like  them 
are  drawn  away,  I  need  not  think  that  I  am  altogether  a 
fool." 

It  was  an  awful  tangle,  and  Judas  sat  for  some  time 
confused  and  undecided.  "  If  it  were  not  for  that  John," 
he  resumed  at  length,  "  I  could  go  on  a  while  yet ;  for 
Jesus  himself  is  certainly  a  good  man.  He  really  seems  to 
be  sinless,  perfect,  and  one  cannot  help  but  love  him  when 
he  is  with  him.  And  then  if  it  should  finally  turn  out  that 
he  is  really  the  Messiah,  and  should  come,  as  he  says,  with 
Angels  and  with  power,  what  would  become  of  me  if  I 
betray  him !  The  rest  of  them  still  believe  it  all,  and  why 
shouldn't  I.?" 

Judas  got  up  and  walked  slowly  on  into  the  city  till  he 
came  to  the  Temple.  Its  magnificence  had  never  appeared 
to  him  so  august  and  imposing.  To  impress  the  innu- 
merable company  of  pilgrims  that  now  thronged  Jerusa- 
lem, the  great  structure  was  brilliantly  lighted  from  base 
to  pinnacle.  An  almost  full  moon  added  its  bewitching 
light,  and  the  white  and  gold  of  the  great  towers  flashed 
and    gleamed    almost   like   noonday.       From    within,    the 


JUDAS  497 

mighty  sound  of  the  great  organ,  which  was  said  to  be 
heard  at  Jericho,  mingled  with  the  blast  of  horns  and 
trumpets,  and  accompanied  by  a  choir  of  a  thousand 
voices,  made  the  whole  air  to  tremble  and  vibrate  with  an 
effect  that  was  overpowering. 

Judas  paused  a  moment  and  listened.  It  needed  no 
more.  Judas  was  awed,  convinced,  detennined ;  he  no 
longer  doubted  where  his  duty  lay.  Pushing  his  way 
through  the  crowd  about  the  Temple,  with  firm,  rapid  step 
he  crossed  the  great  bridge  over  the  Tyrophean  and  made 
his  way  straight  to  the  palace  of  Annas.  The  nightly 
meeting  of  the  cabal  at  this  place  had  not  yet  broken  up, 
and  when  it  was  learned  who  it  was  that  asked  an  audience, 
the  lawyer  Alexander  and  Boethus  were  sent  down  to  talk 
with  Judas  at  the  postern. 

Matters  were  soon  arranged.  Judas  told  the  Rabbis 
that  he  had  become  convinced  that  Jesus  was  an  impostor, 
and  he  said  he  would  conduct,  any  night  thereafter,  a 
party  of  guards  to  arrest  him  privately  and  without 
danger  from  the  people. 

When  this  news  was  communicated  to  Annas,  with  char- 
acteristic promptness  he  ordered  that  the  thing  be  done  at 
once,  that  night.  To  this  Judas  at  first  acceded,  then 
hesitated  and  drew  back.  He  said  he  didn't  know  where 
Jesus  then  was,  or  where  he  would  spend  the  night. 
Finally,  he  demanded  assurance  that  Jesus  should  be  dealt 
with  fairly  and  justly,  and  that  nothing  should  be  at- 
tempted against  him  contrary  to  Moses  and  the  Law. 
To  this  the  Rabbis  replied  truthfully  that  no  Jewish 
tribunal  could  sentence  to  death  and  that  as  the  Romans 
had  refused  to  interfere,  there  was  no  danger  of  extreme 
measures.  Then  they  offered  him  a  large  sum  to  go  at 
once.  But  Judas  could  not  be  moved,  and  the  arrest  was 
put  off  indefinitely,  Judas  only  promising  that  he  would 
come  and  let  them  know  when  there  was  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity. 


498  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

The  Rabbis  by  all  this  were  very  unfavorably  impressed. 
Their  sharpened  faculties  discerned  clearly  enough  that 
Judas  was  not  fully  determined,  and  they  reported  to 
Annas  that  it  was  a  very  doubtful  case. 

"  The  man's  reason  is  convinced,"  said  Boethus,  "  but 
when  it  comes  to  the  point,  he  cannot  tear  himself  loose 
from  the  snare  in  which  that  wizard  Jesus  traps  all  men  of 
a  certain  class  who  come  near  him.  There  are  Rabbis 
Joseph  and  Nicodemus,  men  of  knowledge  and  experience, 
who  know  full  well  that  this  Jesus  is  a  vain  fellow,  and  yet 
there  is  a  magnetism,  a  personal  attraction,  about  the 
man  that  holds  them  spellbound,  and  they  stand  about  as 
this  man  Judas.  They  don't  believe,  and  yet  they  wor- 
ship." 

Judas  went  away  cursing  himself  for  a  fool,  and  torn 
with  conflicting  feelings  and  emotions  that  gave  him  neither 
sleep  nor  rest.  In  the  meantime  a  thousand  other  influ- 
ences were  at  work.  When  Judas  came  out  from  the 
house  of  Simon  at  Bethany,  Mary  was  still  waiting  with- 
out, and  saw  in  the  glare  of  the  lamps  Judas'  angry  face 
and  impatient  gesture  as  he,  unseeing,  passed  her  on  his 
way  to  Jerusalem.  Filled  with  vague  alarm,  Mary  fol- 
lowed Judas,  and  though  she  lost  him  in  the  crowd  about 
the  Temple,  she  divined  that  his  goal  was  the  palace  of 
Annas ;  and  there  she  finally  went,  to  find  that  Judas  had 
come  and  gone. 

But  Margaloth,  true  to  his  old  love  for  Jesus,  had  been 
able  to  overhear  much  that  had  passed,  and  he  told  Mary 
that  Judas  had  agreed  to  lead  a  party  of  guards  to  arrest 
Jesus  at  the  first  opportunity.  This  information  Mary 
communicated  to  Jesus  the  next  morning. 


LX 
WAITING 

"  And  he  sent  Peter  and  John,  saying,  Go  and  prepare  xxs  the 
passover,  that  we  may  eat." — Luke  xxii-8. 

The  day  following  the  supper  at  Bethany  was  the 
Preparation  Day  of  the  Great  Feast.  It  was  Thursday, 
the  fourteenth  of  April.  Jesus  and  his  disciples,  except 
Judas,  had  spent  the  night,  as  usual,  on  Olivet —  Jesus  for 
the  most  part  in  prayer  and  anxious  thought,  so  that  the 
morning  found  him  weak,  depressed,  nerveless.  He  was 
too  worn  to  go  to  Jerusalem  and  meet  the  carping  ques- 
tionings of  the  lawyers  and  doctors,  and  teach  the  people 
as  on  other  days.  He  felt  that  the  great  crisis  was  near, 
and  he  must  husband  his  strength  to  meet  it  manfully. 

Towards  noon  Judas  came  and  saluted  Jesus  as  usual, 
but  Jesus  had  just  been  told  by  Mary  of  the  certainty  of 
Judas'  treachery,  and  he  could  not  altogether  repress  or 
conceal  the  aversion  which  this  intelligence  had  produced. 
He  received  Judas'  kiss  without  giving  any  in  return,  and 
searched  him  with  such  a  cold,  scrutinizing  glance  that 
Judas  felt  chilled  and  repelled.  Could  it  be  that  Jesus 
suspected  him.'' 

Judas  had  come  back  more  than  half  repentant,  and  if 
Mary  had  not  told  and  Jesus  had  not  known,  may  it  not  be 
that  the  story  of  Judas  would  have  been  different  .-^  If, 
possibly,  the  story  of  Judas,  not,  surely,  the  final  catastro- 
phe !  As  it  was,  Jesus  could  not  but  feel  distrust  of  Judas, 
and  he  ordered  him  to  turn  over  what  he  had  in  his  bag  to 
Peter  and  John,  whom  he  commissioned  to  go  into  the  city 
and  buy  a  lamb,  and  provide  for  their  eating  the  Passover. 

This  taking  away  from  him  his  authority  as  provider 
and  bestowing  it  upon  the  youthful  John  was  still  another 

499 


500  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

affront  to  Judas,  and  was  evidence  sufficient  of  Jesus'  sus- 
picion and  estrangement.  Still,  Judas  submitted  with  ap- 
parent cheerfulness  and  good-will ;  he  was  resolved  to  wait 
at  least  till  after  the  Passover,  for  it  had  occurred  to  him 
that  perhaps  that  particular  day  and  hour,  the  natal  day 
of  the  Nation,  the  time  when  God  wrought  such  wonders  in 
Egypt,  had  been  chosen  for  the  promised  revolution,  when 
the  earth  should  be  rent,  the  stars  fall,  and  the  angels  ap- 
pear in  the  clouds  of  Heaven.  He  could  wait  at  least  one 
more  day. 

All  that  day  Jesus  sat  in  a  secluded  spot  on  the  slope  of 
Olivet,  where  Jerusalem  was  in  full  view,  and  with  his  face 
in  his  hands  he  gazed  in  silence  hour  after  hour.  He  re- 
fused all  food  and  spoke  only  to  repeated  questionings. 
The  two  Jameses  and  John  were  especially  anxious  to  have 
the  women,  at  least  their  mothers,  who  were  present  in 
Jerusalem,  eat  the  Passover  with  them.  Jesus  and  the 
disciples  made  only  thirteen,  and  twenty  might  lawfully 
eat  together.  John,  upon  his  return  from  Jerusalem, 
reported  that  he  had  seen  the  women,  and  they  had  asked 
to  be  admitted.  But  Jesus,  when  asked  about  it  by  John, 
refused  to  have  them.  This  refusal  seemed  very  strange 
and  ungracious  to  the  disciples,  and  they  had  not  the  sensi- 
bility to  divine  the  real  reason. 

Jesus  would  gladly  have  had  the  faithful  women  present, 
but  he  remembered  that  Mary  of  Magdala,  not  having 
made  the  required  sacrifice  at  the  Temple  since  her  break- 
ing off  with  Honorius,  could  not  lawfully  partake  of  the 
Passover.  He  knew  that  the  other  women  would  feel 
affronted  if  Mary  was  present,  and  to  invite  the  others, 
leaving  her  out,  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  Jesus  would 
not  permit  it. 


LXI 
THE  LAST  SUPPER 

"  The  peculiar  hatred   which   is   manifested  towards  Judas  in  the 
gospel  attributed  to  John  confirms  this  hypothesis." —  Renan. 

When  the  httle  company  of  thirteen  were  at  last  assem- 
bled in  the  upper  room,  in  an  obscure  back  street  in  Jeru- 
salem, Jesus  at  first  succeeded  in  throwing  off  the 
appearance  of  dejection  and  forced  himself  to  resume  his 
old,  genial  cheerfulness  and  sociability.  The  simple,  child- 
like desire  to  make  those  about  him  happy  was  inherent; 
woven  as  a  cloth  into  the  very  texture  of  his  being,  it 
may  be  said,  that  this  was  a  part  of  his  religion.  Jesus 
was  so  constituted  that  he  could  not  be  happy  unless  those 
about  him  were  so,  too.  He  had  labored  incessantly  to 
teach  this  doctrine  to  his  disciples,  and  tried  to  have  them 
see  that  giving  up  self  and  doing  for  others  was  the  very 
spirit  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

We  may  imagine  how  discouraging  it  was  for  him  now, 
in  this  solemn  hour  which  he  had  set  upon  to  fix  and  seal 
this  covenant  of  sacrifice  to  find  the  old,  worldly  spirit  of 
ambition  and  jealousy  again  noisily  rampant.  The  dis- 
ciples, even  the  beloved  John,  were  quarreling  about  their 
places  at  the  Passover  Table.  To  the  gentle  heart  of 
Jesus,  it  was  like  a  stab  in  the  house  of  his  friends !  It 
was  almost  too  much.  Jesus  felt  that  his  ministry  was 
ended,  and  that  he  could  do  no  more.  If  then  these,  his 
chosen  twelve,  had  profited  so  little  by  his  life  and  teach- 
ing, what  could  he  expect  of  the  world  at  large?  What 
had  it  all  amounted  to,  anyway?  What  good  had  he 
done?  Who  was  there  that  truly  understood  him  and 
accepted  him,  for  what  he  was?  Some  wanted  to  worship 
him  as  a  god,  and  others  reviled  and  condemned  him  as  a 

501 


502  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

devil.  Who,  indeed,  approached  to  a  just  conception  of 
him,  but  one,  and  that,  alas !  a  woman. 

By  such  thoughts,  awakened  by  the  quarreling  of  the 
disciples,  Jesus  was  crushed  and  in  despair.  He  did  not 
speak,  but  sank  down  on  a  couch  and  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands.  The  disciples,  conscience-smitten,  stood  about 
with  downcast  eyes.  At  length,  on  a  hint  from  Peter, 
John  approached  the  Master  and  asked  timidly  what  it 
was  that  troubled  him. 

Jesus  sat  up,  and  looking  around  upon  the  disciples, 
said,  "  After  my  being  with  you  so  long,  you  are  still, 
like  men  of  the  world,  quarreling  about  places  at  table." 

Jesus  said  no  more,  and  the  disciples  began  shame- 
facedly to  take  lower  places  at  table,  and  Peter,  impetuous 
and  extreme  in  this  as  in  everything  else,  at  once  took  the 
lowest  and  least  honorable  position,  which  was  opposite 
and  nearest  to  Jesus  and  John.  Judas,  who  appeared 
stolidly  indifferent,  neither  seeking  nor  refusing,  was  left 
to  take  the  place  of  honor  next  to  Jesus.  And  to  John, 
being  the  youngest,  by  mutual  consent  was  left  the  place 
at  Jesus'  right,  where  he  could  whisper  in  his  ear  and  lean 
upon  his  breast.  This  loving  intimacy  between  Jesus  and 
his  disciples  had  grown  to  such  a  degree  that  they  now 
saluted  each  other  with  a  kiss,  and  leaned  upon  one 
anothers'  breasts  like  school-boys. 

Jesus  now,  to  give  an  example  of  how  they  should  feel 
towards  one  another,  took  a  basin  and  towel  and  washed 
the  disciples'  feet,  none  of  them  objecting  except  Peter, 
whose  fine,  true  gentlemanliness  revolted  at  such  extreme 
and  apparently  needless  condescension.  But  Jesus,  feel- 
ing that  perhaps  this  was  his  last  night  with  his  disciples, 
desired  to  make  the  occasion  not  only  memorable,  but, 
without  eomsciously  abrogating  the  old,  to  introduce  some 
new  symbolism  that  would  characterize  and  express  the 
one  great  Idea  of  the  New  Kingdom,  Brotherhood. 

But  much  as  Jesus  desired  to  make  this  occasion  one  of 


THE  LAST  SUPPER  505 

pleasure  and  even  of  jollity,  he  found  it  impossible  to  make 
it  other  than  one  of  dejection  and  sorrowful  foreboding. 
As  the  Master  of  all,  the  gloom  of  his  own  spirit  over- 
shadowed and  imparted  itself  to  all.  His  utter  weariness 
of  body  and  mind,  added  to  so  many  other  discourage- 
ments, overcame  his  natural  desire,  and  he  appeared  before 
his  disciples  sad,  dejected,  even  melancholy. 

He  did  not  state  clearly  to  the  disciples  what  he  feared, 
nor  give  reasons;  but  as  was  common  with  him,  he  spoke 
vaguely  of  going  away,  of  being  separated  from  them. 
Few  of  the  disciples  paid  much  attention  to  this  gloomy 
and  discouraging  talk.  They  had  heard  much  of  the 
same  thing  often  before,  and  they  attached  little  weight 
or  meaning  to  it.  They  were  like  children  who  shut  their 
eyes  and  tremble  at  mention  of  spooks  and  hobgoblins, 
but  press  forward  with  eager  interest,  to  hear  about  Cin- 
derella and  Prince  Charming.  They  remembered  and 
believed  about  the  twelve  thrones  and  the  glories  of  the 
New  Kingdom,  but  they  refused  to  entertain  any  thought 
of  the  fiery  path  that  led  them  to  it.  No  doubt  Jesus' 
•manner  of  dealing  with  this  subject  was  largely  the  cause 
of  the  disciples'  hazy  unenlightenment.  He  did  not  speak 
out  plainly,  because,  for  one  thing,  he  did  not  himself 
know.  As  with  all  such  gifted  souls,  he  vibrated  between 
exaltation  and  despair.  To  the  latest  hour  of  his  life  he 
was  in  doubt. 

The  disciples  had  heard  him  speak  often,  with  a  glow- 
ing enthusiasm  that  thrilled  their  souls,  of  angel  hosts 
that  w^ere  at  his  command ;  and  at  one  time  he  had  said 
that  if  he  needed  protection,  God  would  send  him  whole 
legions  of  angels,  and  the  disciples  believed  it.  Why, 
then,  should  they  trouble  about  what  the  Temple  author- 
ities, with  a  handful  of  undisciplined  guards,  could  do  to 
them?  Two  or  three  of  the  disciples,  of  a  more  inquiring 
mind  tluin  the  others,  were  incited  by  Jesus'  obscure  hints 
and  despondent  talk  to  ask  some  questions,  and  Thomas 


504  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

and  again  Peter,  begged  to  know  where  Jesus  was  going, 
as  he  said,  and  the  way  to  get  there. 

Jesus  answered  Thomas,  saying,  "  I  am  the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  hfe;  no  man  cometh  to  the  Father  but  by 
me.  If  ye  had  known  me,  ye  should  have  known  my 
Father  also,  and  from  henceforth  ye  know  him,  and  have 
seen  him." 

Philip,  who  also  was  of  the  questioning  ones,  astonished 
at  this  answer,  now  interposed  and  asked  Jesus  to  show 
them  the  Father,  and  they  would  be  satisfied. 

Jesus  answered :  "  Have  I  been  so  long  time  with  you, 
and  yet  hast  thou  not  known  me,  Philip.?  He  that  hath 
seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father,  and  how  sayest  thou,  then, 
*  Show  us  the  Father.'  " 

The  disciples,  who  were  all  listening,  were  more  than 
ever  mystified;  but  each  supposing  that  perhaps  all  the 
others  understood  and  that  he  himself  was  prevented  only 
by  dullness  and  stupidity,  they  asked  no  more  questions. 
The  supper  was  eaten  very  leisurely,  with  much  conversa- 
tion and  at  length  one  mentioned  casually  that  he  had 
heard  in  Jerusalem  that  day  that  the  Temple  Guard  had 
been  out  the  night  before  in  search  of  some  one  on  Olivet. 

"  Strange,"  he  added,  "  that  none  of  us  saw  them,  for 
we  were  there  all  night." 

"  Yes,  and  so  were  the  stones  in  the  wall,"  said  Peter, 
"  and  the  stones  were  not  more  dead  asleep  than  were  you 
fellows.  I  saw  the  lights  of  the  Guard  and  heard  them 
pass,  but  didn't  consider  that  it  concerned  us." 

Jesus  was  listening,  and  his  brow  darkened.  "  They 
were  looking  for  me,"  he  said,  "  and  there  is  one  of  you 
who  will  tell  them  where  I  am.  One  of  you  will 
betray  me." 

This  sentence,  spoken  quite  sternly,  brought  everything 
to  a  standstill.  No  one  spoke  or  partook  of  food.  The 
disciples  looked  from  one  to  the   other  with  wondering. 


THE  LAST  SUPPER  505 

inquiring  glances,  till  all  eyes  were  fixed  on  Judas,  on 
whose  dark,  stubborn,  aquiline  face  alone  appeared  an 
effort  to  remain  unmoved  and  indifferent.  But  Judas  was 
not  a  good  actor,  and  though  he  tried  to  appear  uncon- 
cerned, his  grim,  set  face  and  black  eyes  rolling  and 
glowering  beneath  his  heavy  brows,  were  very  noticeable. 
He  saw  at  once  that  suspicion  had  fastened  upon  him,  and 
his  first  feeling  was  of  indignation  and  a  sense  of  injustice. 
He  had  done  nothing:  he  had  even  declined  a  great  bribe, 
and  refused  to  betray  Jesus.  He  had  flattered  himself 
that  he  had  acted  quite  virtuously, —  and  now  to  be  treated 
this  way ! 

At  length  Peter,  who  was  nearest  across  the  table,  asked 
Jesus  who  it  was  that  should  betray  him,  and  asked  if  it 
was  he  whom  Jesus  suspected.  All  the  disciples,  including 
Judas,  then  asked  Jesus  the  same  question.  But  Jesus 
refused  to  point  out  the  man,  only  saying  that  it  was  one 
of  those  who  dipped  his  hand  in  the  dish.  Of  course  all 
did  this,  for  they  all  ate  out  of  a  common  dish,  each  one 
taking  out  a  portion  with  his  bare  fingers.  At  last  Peter, 
unsatisfied  with  such  an  equivocal  answer,  motioned  to  John 
to  persist  in  the  inquiry. 

John,  little  loath,  and  leaning  on  Jesus'  bosom,  now 
stretched  up  to  Jesus'  ear,  and  holding  his  hand  between 
Jesus'  ear  and  Judas,  asked  again  in  a  whisper  that  Jesus 
would  just  whisper  it  to  him  alone,  who  it  was.  Jesus 
looked  down  into  the  beautiful,  confiding  face  of  the 
youth,  and  for  a  moment  his  eye  lightened  and  across  the 
deep  sadness  of  his  countenance  there  was  the  fleeting 
gleam  of  a  smile.  He  stooped  his  head  and  whispered  in 
John's  ear,  "  He  to  whom  I  will  give  a  sop  is  he,"  and 
Jesus  immediately  gave  the  sop  he  had  then  in  his  hand  to 
Judas,  who  sat  next  to  him ;  and  then  immediately  reach- 
ing across  the  table  he  gave  the  next  to  Peter,  and  so  on 
around  till  he  had  given  a  sop  to  every  one. 


506  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

No  one  had  heard,  not  even  Judas,  what  whispered  words 
had  passed  between  Jesus  and  John ;  but  when  Jesus  gave 
the  sop  to  Judas,  John,  simple  and  artless  as  a  child, 
stared  at  Judas  with  such  wide-eyed,  open  distrust  and 
aversion  as  to  leave  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  Judas, 
already  keenly  suspicious,  that  Jesus  had  named  him  to 
John  as  the  traitor. 

In  fact,  Jesus'  design  was  quite  the  contrary.  On  such 
occasions  it  was  a  law,  established  by  long  usage,  for  the 
Master  of  the  feast  to  give  a  sop,  composed  of  small  por- 
tions of  the  lamb,  the  bread  and  some  bitter  herbs.  This 
he  took  in  his  fingers,  dipped  it  in  the  great  bowl  or  dish 
containing  the  lamb,  and  gave  to  each  guest,  beginning 
with  the  most  honored.  In  this,  case,  Jesus,  knowing  the 
struggle  and  the  temptation  of  poor  Judas,  and  with  a 
heart  that  could  sympathize  even  with  him  in  his  dark 
ignorance  and  superstition,  had  designed  only  to  mystify 
John,  while  at  the  same  time,  by  presenting  the  sop  first 
to  Judas,  to  reassure  him  with  this  mark  of  confidence  and 
good-will,  and  if  possible  reclaim  him  from  the  evil  course 
he  had  begun.  This  plan  would  no  doubt  have  worked  as 
designed,  had  John  been  less  a  boy  and  with  riper  discre- 
tion and  greater  self-restraint  refrained  from  so  plain  an 
exhibition  of  his  enmity  and  distrust. 

Judas,  with  his  suspicions  already  aroused,  saw  in  the 
whispering  of  John  and  Jesus,  followed  by  the  sop  and, 
more  than  all,  by  the  hateful  stare  of  John,  enough  to 
confirm  his  worst  fears,  and  he  instantly  resolved  to  pro- 
ceed in  the  execution  of  his  half-formed  design.  Jesus 
saw  and  marked  the  miscarriage  of  his  scheme,  and  at  the 
first  opportunity  spoke  again  kindly  to  Judas,  but  now 
without  avail ;  it  was  too  late.  Nothing  now  could  con- 
vince Judas  but  that  his  correspondence  with  the  Chief 
Priests  was  known  to  Jesus  and  to  John,  and  taking  the 
first  opportunity  he  slipped  out  and  went  away. 

What  Jesus'  last  words  to  Judas  actually  were,  the  dis- 


THE  LAST  SUPPER  507 

ciples  never  knew.  What  Jesus  said  was  this :  "  Think ! 
Wait!     Act  not  too  quickly." 

The  departure  of  Judas  was  scarcely  noticed  by  the 
simple  and  care-free  disciples:  they  had  no  fears.  But  to 
Jesus  the  significance  of  Judas'  going  was  clear,  and  cer- 
tain ;  he  saw  the  danger  and  began  to  prepare  for  the 
worst.  He  knew  that  the  disciples,  still  obdurately  bent 
on  worldly  honors,  disliked  his  preaching;  but  he  knew 
also,  what  faithful  fathers  and  mothers  and  teachers  of 
all  times  have  learned,  that  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon 
precept  is  the  good  seed.  He  knew  that  though  it  might 
fall  upon  ears  that  were  deaf  and  unwilling  now,  the  day 
would  come  when  recollection  would  invest  liis  words  with 
importance,  even  with  glory.  And  so,  weary  and  spent, 
though  he  was,  Jesus  continued  to  talk  to  his  disciples 
till  far  into  the  night.  He  told  them  that  the  enmity  of 
the  Priestly  Rulers  and  their  power  was  such  that  there 
was  no  knowing  what  might  befall  at  any  time. 

"  And  if  anything  should  happen  to  me,"  he  said,  "  be 
sure  that,  first  and  above  all,  you  remember  to  practice  the 
law  of  Love.  Love  not  only  one  another,  but  all  the 
world.  Go  out  into  the  world  and  teach  by  your  example 
that  all  men  are  children  of  God,  all  brethren  of  one  Father. 
Remember,  too,  what  I  have  often  told  you,  that  old  things 
are  about  to  pass  away  and  all  things  to  become  new. 
When  John  and  I  lived  in  the  desert,  we  mended  our 
clothes,  and  sometimes  had  to  use  bits  of  new  cloth  to  patch 
an  old  garment ;  but  the  new  piece  alwaj^s  tore  away  from 
the  old,  and  the  rent  was  made  worse.  We  must  have  new 
bottles  for  the  new  wine. 

"  Some  changes  are  necessary,  and  there  must  be  some- 
thing to  distinguish  between  the  old  and  the  new.  John 
taught  that  all  must  be  baptized  with  water,  and  the  idea 
is  good.  Baptism  has  been  practiced  among  the  Jews 
time  out  of  mind.  Wash  one  another's  feet  when  ye  come 
together.     And  if  I   must  die  and  leave  you,  remember 


508  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

always  this  last  supper  we  have  had  together.  Now, 
before  we  go  out,  let  us  eat  and  drink  what  remains  of  the 
bread  and  wine,  in  remembrance  of  it." 

And  Jesus  took  what  remained  of  the  bread  and  of  the 
wine,  and  after  asking  a  blessing  upon  it,  continued,  "  If 
anything  should  happen  to  me,  so  I  should  die  in  this 
cause,  remember  that  this  pure,  unleavened  bread  you  may 
liken  to  my  body,  and  this  good,  red  wine  to  my  blood: 
it  will  help  to  keep  alive  the  truths  that  I  have  taught 
you." 

And  Jesus  broke  the  bread  and  gave  it  around,  and 
poured  what  remained  of  the  wine  and  gave  it  to  the  dis- 
ciples, telling  them  they  might  as  well  drink  the  whole  of 
it ;  for  he  himself  would  promise  them  that  he  would  drink 
no  more  wine  till  he  drank  it  new  in  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Jesus  talked  a  long  time  with  the  disciples,  some  of  the 
time  very  plainly  about  their  duties  and  future  labors ;  and 
then  again  he  would  go  off  into  a  strain  of  parable  and 
mystery  that  the  disciples  could  not  understand.  At  last 
Jesus,  seeing  that  they  were  grown  very  sleepy  and  dull, 
ceased  speaking,  saying  that  if  they  would  sing  one  good 
old  hymn  with  him,  such  a  one  as  they  had  all  learned 
when  little  children  at  their  mother's  knee,  then  they  would 
go. 

And  so  they  sang  one  of  those  old  home  hymns,  and 
as  they  sang,  the  disciples  all  noticed  that  Jesus  wept. 


LXII 
WATCH  AND  PRAY 

"  The  disciples  did  not  suspect  the  nearness  of  danger." —  Keim. 

When  Jesus  and  the  disciples  came  out  from  supper 
and  started  for  Olivet,  it  was  a  silent  and  gloomy  company. 
The  night  air  was  cold  and  damp ;  an  April  shower  had 
fallen  while  they  were  at  supper,  and  though  the  disciples 
were  all  young  men  and  used  to  a  rough  life,  they  could 
not  hut  think  how  much  better  off  were  the  greater  part 
even  of  foreign  pilgrims  than  themselves. 

Jerusalem  itself  was  packed  with  pilgrims  who  found 
shelter  at  least  at  night ;  and  when  they  came  down  to  the 
valley  of  the  Kidron,  the  multitude  there  encamped  for  the 
most  part  had  tents.  And  there  were  fires,  the  sight  of 
which  made  some  of  the  disciples  almost  homesick,  thinking 
of  far-away  Galilee  and  the  fishing  fires  by  the  lake  shore. 

Peter  and  Philip,  who  had  left  wives  and  children,  and 
were  drawn  together  in  mutual  sympathy,  walked  behind, 
and  in  low  tones  talked  sadly  of  home.  At  length  lured 
on  by  similar  confidences,  Philip  told  Peter  that  unless 
something  more  definite  turned  up  to  bring  about  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  he  believed  he  would  go  home,  for  a 
while  at  least.  His  family,  he  said,  needed  him,  and  be- 
sides, to  tell  the  truth,  this  Kingdom  of  God  began  to 
appear  to  him  a  very  doubtful  affair  anyway.  And 
Thomas  and  Simon  Zelotes,  Philip  told  Peter,  were  of  the 
same  mind,  and  would  go  home  with  him  after  Sabbath 
was  passed. 

Peter  admitted  that  the  case  was  now  a  pretty  hard  one, 
and  said  he  would  like  to  go  home,  too ;  but  he  urged 
Philip  to  hold  on  for  a  while  yet.  "  There  is  still,"  he 
said,   "  the  seven   days   Feast   of   Unleavened  Bread,   and 

509 


510  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

much  may  happen  in  that  time.     Let  us  trust  the  Master 
jet." 

On  the  bridge  crossing  the  Kidron  the  whole  company 
paused  a  moment  to  look  and  hsten.  The  narrow, 
rocky  gorge  was  now  filled  with  a  rushing,  roaring  tor- 
rent, swollen  to  unwonted  size  by  the  spring  rains;  and 
the  big  moon,  high  overhead,  shining  fitfully  through 
broken,  hurrying  clouds,  showed  at  times  the  black  waters, 
flecked  with  foam,  rushing  away  towards  the  dread  salt 
sea.  Each  weary  traveller  was  occupied  with  his  own  sad 
thoughts,  and  so  they  moved  on  in  silence  towards  Olivet. 
Presently,  however,  Jesus,  still  dwelling  on  what  Mary 
had  told  him  and  on  the  absence  of  Judas,  spoke  again  of 
the  danger  that  threatened. 

"  The  Chief  Priests  and  Scribes  and  Pharisees,"  he  said, 
"  no  longer  fear  the  people  as  they  did,  and  there  is  no 
knowing  what  they  may  do.  The  people  have  been 
offended  because  I  forbade  them  to  fight  and  to  shed  blood, 
and  I  fear  that  you  disciples  are  growing  lukewarm.  You 
are  discouraged  and  murmuring.  Because  the  coming  of 
the  Kingdom  is  delayed,  you,  too,  have  lost  faith  and  are 
about  ready  to  give  up  and  go  away  backwards.  Remem- 
ber, as  I  have  told  you  before,  he  that  endureth  to  the 
end  is  he  who  will  receive  the  reward, —  the  throne  and  the 
crown." 

Jesus'  words  showed  such  discouragement,  and  his 
whole  tone  and  manner  were  so  sad  and  depressed,  that  they 
struck  a  chill  to  the  hearts  of  the  disciples.  Most  of  them 
felt  the  truth  of  the  words,  and  would  hardly  have  been 
able  to  make  any  answer  except  for  Peter,  whose  sympa- 
thies were  aroused  by  Jesus'  extreme  sadness,  and  he  spoke 
out  at  once,  assuring  Jesus  that  if  the  people  had  deserted 
him,  and  all  the  world  besides,  it  would  make  no  difference 
with  him.  After  the  habitually  exaggerated  manner  of 
the  Orient,  he  added,  "  Though  I  had  to  die  for  it,  still 
would  I  not  forsake  thee." 


WATCH  AND  PRAY  611 

The  other  disciples,  with  such  an  example  before  them, 
could  hardly  do  less,  and  they  repeated  the  sentiments  ex- 
pressed by  Peter.  For  the  moment  Jesus  was  pleased  and 
comforted  by  these  expressions  of  faithfulness ;  but  he 
shortly  reverted  to  his  sad  broodings. 

"  I  know,"  he  said,  "  that  you  all  mean  what  you  say. 
You  think  you  would  bear  up,  but  no  man  really  knows 
what  he  can  do  till  he  is  tried.  I  cannot  blame  you  much, 
for,  poor, souls,  you  have  been  sorely  tried;  but  I  would 
not  be  surprised  if  you  all  denied  me  before  the  cock  crows 
to-morrow  morning.  And  Peter  here,  with  his  hot  temper 
and  wild  imaginings, —  the  Devil  gets  into  him  sometimes, 
as  he  did  into  Job,  to  sift  him  as  wheat,  to  remove  the 
tares  and  the  rubbish,  and  leave  at  last  only  the  clean, 
pure  seed  grain.  And  so  God  maketh  the  Devil  himself  to 
do  Him  service;  and  so  whatever  happens  is  in  the  end  all 
well.  But  remember  this :  if  aught  happens  at  any  time  to 
scatter  and  disperse  us,  our  meeting  place  will  be  Galilee." 

By  this  they  had  come  up  to  a  little  olive  yard,  inclosed 
by  a  wall,  where  were  oil  presses  and  some  rude  sheds  for 
storage  of  the  fruit  and  oil.  The  disciples  besought  Jesus 
that  they  might  turn  in  here,  where  the  sheds  offered  some 
shelter  from  the  cold  and  the  rain  which  now  again  threat- 
ened. Jesus  gave  consent,  and  the  disciples  began  at  once, 
like  disbanded  soldiers,  to  look  for  sheltered  places  to  sleep. 
But  Jesus  recalled  them  a  moment  and  said,  "  My  soul 
is  exceedingly  troubled  and  sorrowful,  so  that  it  seems  as 
if  I  might  die,  and  I  cannot  sleep;  can  not  some  of  you 
sit  up  and  watch  with  me  ?  " 

Thev  were  all  very  tired  and  sleepy,  and  Jesus'  fears 
appeared  to  them  wholly  groundless  and  absurd ;  but  Peter, 
to  prove  that  the  Master's  doubt  of  his  faithfulness  was 
unjust,  at  once  volunteered  to  sit  up  and  watch.  James 
and  John,  not  to  be  outdone  by  Peter,  said  they  would 
watch. 

"  It  were  better  for  you  all,"  said  Jesus,  solemnly,  "  if 


512  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

jou  could  watch,  instead  of  sleeping,  and  pray  lest  ye  be 
tempted  and  fall  into  the  Devil's  snare." 

But  while  he  was  yet  speaking,  some  of  the  disciples  had 
crept  away  into  the  sheds  and  were  searching  about  for 
good  places  to  sleep.  Turning  then  to  Peter  and  James 
and  John,  Jesus  told  them  that  he  would  leave  them  to 
watch,  while  he  went  a  little  way  aside  to  pray.  When  he 
was  gone,  it  began  to  rain  again,  and  the  three  disciples 
drew  back  within  the  shelter  of  projecting  roof 
and  sat  down.  They  soon  began  to  feel  the  chill  of  the 
damp  and  cold  night  air,  and  drawing  their  cloaks  about 
them,  shivered  and  remembered  longingly  sunny  Galilee. 

The  rain  soon  ceased,  as  suddenly  as  it  had  begun,  and 
the  moon  shone  out  an  instant  clear  and  bright.  By  its 
light  the  three  disciples  could  see  Jesus  a  little  way  off, 
kneeling  on  the  bare  rock  and  praying.  At  intervals, 
when  the  wind  sank  low,  they  could  hear  words,  and  they 
gathered  from  what  they  heard  that  Jesus  was  praying  to 
be  saved  from  some  dreadful  calamity ;  but  they  thought 
that  he  was  only  having  one  of  his  fits  of  despondency, 
and  they  were  not  impressed.  In  fact,  their  watching  was 
of  very  short  duration,  for  they,  like  the  other  disciples, 
were  soon  asleep. 


LXIII 
PERFECTED 

"'Tis  midnight;  and  on  Olive's  brow 
The  star  is  dimmed  that  lately  shone. 
'Tis  midnight  in  the  garden  now; 

The  suffering  Savior  prays  alone." — Tappan. 

When  Judas  came  out  from  the  Passover  Supper,  he 
thought  he  saw  the  figure  of  a  woman  ghde  into  a  narrow 
alley  close  by.  In  his  excited  state  his  suspicions  were 
easily  aroused,  and  he  hastened  to  explore  the  alley  to 
see  if  there  really  was  a  woman  there.  But  he  found 
nothing,  and  hastened  on  to  the  palace  of  Annas.  As 
soon  as  he  was  gone,  a  tall  female  figure  emerged  from  the 
alley,  and  keeping  as  much  in  the  shadow  as  possible,  fol- 
lowed after  Judas,  until  she  saw  him  enter  the  palace  of 
Annas.  Then  she  turned  and  fled.  There  were  few 
people  on  the  street,  and  the  woman  ran  at  first  with  all 
her  might  towards  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city.  Soon 
becoming  exhausted,  she  was  obliged  to  moderate  her  pace, 
but  still  walked  swiftly  on.  Passing  out  of  the  city,  she 
was  presently  threading  her  way  among  the  scattered  tents 
and  bivouacked  thousands  of  the  Kidron  valley.  Turning 
here  northwards,  she  soon  left  all  these  behind,  and  at  last, 
through  a  scene  of  utter  barrenness  and  desolation,  over 
broken  rocks,  fissures,  and  chasms,  approached  an  old, 
abandoned  quarry,  now  one  of  the  secret  resorts  of  the 
Zealots.  And  here  she  found  them,  Jacobus,  with  his 
brothers,  and  Helon  and  the  rest. 

Boaz  and  Ehud,  marked  men  since  the  affair  of  the 
aqueduct,  having  rashly  separated  themselves,  and  entered 
the  city,  had  that  day  been  seized  by  the  Romans  and  cast 
into  prison.     That,  with  other  matters,  had  kindled  the 

613 


514  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

long  smouldering  spark  of  rebellion  against  Jacobus  into  a 
flame.  The  faction  of  Helon  and  Ehud  had  already 
gained  largely  among  the  people,  and  even  among  the 
sworn  Zealots.  Jacobus'  friendship  for  Jesus  and  his  atti- 
tude of  still  waiting  for  him  to  proclaim  himself  openly 
was  now  derided  by  Helon,  and  regarded  generally  with 
disapproval.  It  was  now  more  fiercely  than  ever  demanded 
by  Helon  and  his  abettors  that  Jesus  should  no  longer  be 
considered,  and  that  they  should  proceed  at  once  with  some 
plan  for  the  expulsion  of  the  house  of  Annas  and  the 
Romans. 

When  Mary  arrived  at  the  quarry  the  debate  was  at  its 
height  and  had  grown  into  an  angry  quarrel,  in  which 
Jacobus'  lofty  and  magnanimous  forbearance  alone  pre- 
vented bloodshed.  Mary  was  shocked  and  pained;  in  the 
simplicity  of  her  desire  to  save  Jesus'  life,  she  had  grasped 
like  one  drowning  at  any  straw,  but  her  eyes  were  now 
opened  as  never  before.  She  was  more  than  ever  confirmed 
in  her  former  Intuition  that  there  was  no  real  help  for 
Jesus  in  these  warring  factions.  She  saw  how  supremely 
wise  Jesus  had  been  in  rejecting  their  assistance.  She 
could  not  go  away,  however,  without  Informing  Jacobus 
of  the  danger  which  threatened  Jesus ;  but  her  heart  mis- 
gave her,  and  she  went  away  discouraged  and  sick  at  heart. 

Then  the  thought  of  Rachel  came  as  a  ray  of  hope. 
She  had  not  told  Rachel  of  the  new  danger.  She  would 
go  there.  Rachel  proved  sympathetic  and  promised  to  do 
what  she  could,  but  she  could  offer  little  encouragement. 
She  told  Mary  that  her  father  and  Joseph  and  others  had 
defended  Jesus  to  the  limit  of  safety,  till  they  themselves 
were  in  danger  and  had  been  threatened.  They  dared  not 
do  more.  Rachel,  In  telling  it,  wept,  and  In  parting  from 
Mary  In  the  darkness,  she  fell  upon  her  neck  and  held  her 
long  in  passionate  embrace. 

And  was  there,  then,  no  help  from  God  or  man.?  Was 
the  Heaven  brass  and  the  earth  given  up  to  Satan.''     In 


PERFECTED  515 

the  wild  heart  of  the  daughter  of  Deborah,  as  she  stumbled 
on  blindly  in  the  darkness,  there  were  rebellious  thoughts 
and  fierce  thrills  of  the  inveterate  spirit  of  war  and  ven- 
geance, such  as  stirred  her  ancestress  of  old  to  go  down 
with  the  armies  of  Barak.  Might  not  the  Lord  again 
sell  Sisera  into  the  hands  of  a  woman?  And  Mary  felt 
for  the  dagger,  a  gift  from  Honorius,  which  she  had  never 
laid  aside.  Could  not  she  strike  that  to  the  heart  of  the 
cruel  and  impious  Annas?  A  hot  flush  ran  through  her 
frame,  and  she  grasped  the  steel  with  a  firm,  strong  hand. 
Yes  !     She  was  equal  to  that !     She  could  do  it ! 

She  was  passing  the  palace  of  Simon  Kanthera,  "  The 
Quarrelsome.'*  A  lamp  with  a  shade  hanging  over  the 
portal  cast  a  bright  light  over  a  little  space  about  the  door, 
and  Mary,  in  the  shadow  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  could  see  sitting  on  the  stone  bench  by  the  side  of 
the  door  a  blind  old  beggar.  He  was  chanting  in  a  low, 
sad  monotone  to  the  sound  of  an  old  battered  harp.  The 
incident  was  not  so  unusual  as  to  demand  particular  atten- 
tion, and  Mary  would  have  passed  unheeding,  but  for 
something  in  the  words  or  the  tone  or  the  old  harp, —  she 
did  not  at  first  know  what, —  that  arrested  her,  and  she 
paused  in  the  shadow  and  listened. 

It  was  of  the  old,  old  theme  that  the  man  was  singing, — 
the  ]\Iessiah  of  God,  who  would  preach  good  tidings  unto 
the  meek,  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  proclaim  liberty  to 
captives,  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  return  good  for  evil, 
and  whose  law  was  Love.  At  the  moment  there  was  no 
one  passing  on  the  street,  and  Mary  went  across  very 
softly  and  approached  the  blind  man  quite  closely  without 
his  hearing  her;  but  by  that  mysterious  sixth  sense,  so 
often  largely  developed  in  the  blind,  the  old  man  became 
aware  that  someone  was  near,  and  ceasing  to  play  and  to 
sing,  raised  his  face  so  the  lamp  shone  full  upon  it  and 
put  out  his  hand  for  alms. 

It  was  a  venerable  face,  with  strong  Jewish  features. 


516  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

The  man  wore  no  covering  for  his  head,  and  his  hair  and 
beard  were  long  and  white  as  snow.  Mary  saw  and  knew ! 
It  was  her  father,  whom  she  had  supposed  dead.  And  then 
the  earth  and  the  Heavens  began  to  spin  around  her  and 
the  lamp  to  dance;  she  clutched  at  the  iron  gate  of  the 
palace,  and  dug  her  fingers  into  the  granite  wall,  staining 
it  with  blood,  but  she  did  not  fall.  And  then  the  burly 
porter  came  out,  and  with  oaths  and  blows  drove  the  blind 
man  away,  and  cursed  Mary,  calling  her  a  harlot,  while 
the  great  wolf-hound  chained  within  the  gate  roared  and 
tugged  at  his  chain. 

Mary,  recovering  herself,  took  the  old  man  by  the  hand 
and  led  him  away.  And  as  they  went,  the  Rabbi  Gamaliel, 
in  his  palanquin,  with  slaves  and  torch-bearers,  and 
greeted  with  salaams,  turned  into  the  palace  of  Kanthera. 
A  half  hour  later,  Mary,  having  safely  bestowed  her 
father  with  Margaloth,  was  hurrying  eastward  again 
towards  Olivet.  As  before,  in  her  eager  haste  she  at  first 
ran ;  then,  becoming  tired,  she  went  more  slowly,  and 
finally,  when  she  had  passed  the  valley  of  the  Kidron  and 
began  climbing  the  steep  of  Olivet,  she  came  to  walk  very 
slowly.  At  last,  as  if  hesitating  and  in  doubt,  she  sat 
down  on  a  stone  bench  by  the  wayside  and  buried  her  face 
in  her  hands.  For  some  time  she  sat  thus  without  moving ; 
then,  slipping  softly  down  like  a  mass  of  snow  from  a 
bending  branch,  she  lay  with  outspread  hands  and  with 
her  face  in  the  dust.  She  did  not  sigh  or  groan  or  utter 
any  cry,  but  lay  for  a  long  time  silent  and  motionless.  At 
length  she  arose  to  her  knees,  and  raising  her  face  towards 
the  sky,  she  prayed:  "  Our  Father  which  art  in  Heaven, 
hallowed  be  Thy  name.  Thy  Kingdom  come.  Thy  will 
be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  Heaven.  Give  us  this  day 
our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we 
forgive  those  who  trespass  against  us.  And  lead  us  not 
into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil:  for  thine  is  the 
kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  forever.     Amen." 


PERFECTED  517 

When  Mary  had  finished  this  prayer,  slie  took  the  dag- 
ger that  she  had  long  carried  from  its  concealment  in  her 
dress,  and  inserting  its  blade  in  a  crevice  of  rock,  snapped 
and  flung  the  thing,  jeweled  hilt  and  all,  away.  Then, 
with  firm,  swift  step,  she  resumed  her  journey  up  the  steep 
side  of  Olivet. 


LXIV 
GETHSEMANE 

"Whether  a  man  approaches  death  with  or  without  sighing,  the 
chief  point  is  that  he  dies  for  the  sake  of  principle." —  Keim. 

When  Jesus  left  the  disciples  with  the  charge  to  watch, 
and  went  away  himself  to  pray  alone,  his  whole  being  was 
in  the  whirling  eddies  of  despair  and  doubt.  Though  in 
the  very  prime  of  manly  power,  the  limit  of  his  endurance 
had  been  nearly  reached.  For  several  days  and  nights 
he  had  not  slept,  and  the  strain  of  meeting  the  people  and 
the  great  Rabbis  in  the  Temple  Court,  in  addition  to  his 
secret  cares  and  questionings,  had  brought  him  to  a  pass 
where  relief  or  death  was  the  only  alternative.  Jesus 
realized  this. 

For  whole  hours  his  brain  seemed  on  fire,  and  his 
thoughts  became  wild  and  tumultuous, —  huge,  monstrous, 
unutterable, —  when  he  felt  dimly  that  he  was  losing  him- 
self, losing  faith,  losing  hope :  in  short,  losing  God !  His 
life  seemed  an  utter  failure.  It  had  been  all  a  horrible  mis- 
take. He  was  not  the  Messiah.  There  was  no  Messiah. 
Those  Rabbis  were  right  who  said  the  age  of  the  Messiah 
has  passed.  God  had  forsaken  His  people.  Or,  more 
likely,  his  mother  and  brethren  and  sisters,  Uncle  Zebedee 
and  Uncle  Clopas,  were  right,  who  adhered  to  the  good 
old  ways  and  trusted  still  that  God  would  send  the  good 
King  Messiah,  when  it  pleased  him  to  do  so. 

Then  what  were  all  these  visions  of  an  earthly  Paradise 
and  a  human  Brotherhood,  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and 
the  coming  of  the  Holy  Angels  to  cleanse  and  purify  the 
world.?  What  but  the  cunning  devices  of  Satan,  to  draw 
him  away,  to  make  false  prophecies,  as  the  Devil  had  often 
done  to  the  prophets  of  old? 

Or  was  it  even  as  the  Sadducees  and  the  Roman  and 

518 


GETHSEMANE  519 

Greek  philosophers  taught:  everything,  like  the  morning 
mist,  the  dew,  the  flower,  to  endure  but  a  moment  and  to 
vanish  away:  nothing  eternal:  no  Good,  but  to  eat,  drink 
and  be  merry:  no  Bad,  but  privation  of  these  Goods? 
Was  it  not  so  written  by  the  wise  king  and  prophet,  and 
did  not  he  declare  at  last,  in  his  old  age,  that  all  labor 
and  travail  are  vanity,  that  man,  with  all  his  soaring  aspir- 
ations, hopes,  fears,  struggles,  reachings  for  the  Infinite, 
is,  after  all,  no  better  than  the  beast?  All,  he  says,  go 
unto  one  place;  all  are  of  the  dust,  and  all  alike  turn  to 
dust  again. 

Jesus,  thinking  of  these  things,  with  his  face  on  the 
wet  earth  and  his  arms  extended,  lay  motionless.  If  he 
could  only  sleep  one  hour  it  would  help  him  to  regain  com- 
posure. But  in  his  weak,  nervous,  agitated,  and  sleep- 
less condition,  the  human  fear  of  death  now  forced  itself 
upon  him.  Death !  and  what  a  death !  In  the  flight  to 
Philippi  and  on  the  mount  of  Hermon  the  thought  of 
death  had  been  present,  but  only  distant,  uncertain,  vague, 
—  death,  if  at  all,  by  stoning,  which  was  swift  and  often 
painless.  But  now  it  was  death  by  crucifixion,  the  most 
horrible  punishment  that  could  be  devised  by  the  cruel 
ingenuity  of  man. 

When  a  boy  at  Nazareth,  Jesus  had  witnessed  the  cru- 
cifixion of  a  number  of  the  followers  of  Judas,  the  father 
of  Jacobus.  Their  crosses  had  been  erected  near  the  great 
fountain,  where  all  who  came  for  water  must  see  and  take 
warning.  He  had  been  obliged  to  go  there  for  water  each 
day,  and  he  saw  their  horrible  suff^erings.  Some  of  them 
lingered  In  agony  nine  days.  The  impression  made  upon 
the  mind  and  heart  of  the  sensitive,  Imaginative  boy  was 
Indclii)le.  The  horror  of  those  crucifixions  had  haunted 
his  dreams  through  his  life.  Such  a  fate  might  now  be 
his.  If  he  persisted  In  his  present  course,  he  might  have 
to  suffer  that  way.  Could  he  do  It  and  not  betray  his 
trust,  not  yield?     Was  there  no  other  way? 


520  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Over  this  he  prayed  and  wrestled  in  an  agony  such  as 
only  divine  men  and  women  can  know.  The  hardened 
brute  of  the  slums,  with  fiendish  pride,  will  repress  contor- 
tion even  after  the  gallows  drop  has  fallen,  admired  by  the 
crowd  of  "  sports  "  who  are  watching  to  see  if  their  hero 
dies  "  game,"  while  a  Cranmer  or  Savonarola,  overpowered 
with  pain  and  horror,  cannot  repress  the  human  sob.  In 
every  divine  man  there  is  a  strain  of  the  feminine.  The 
woman  who  screams  in  terror  of  a  mouse,  when  the  time 
comes  and  the  call  sounds,  will  meet  the  tiger's  glare  with 
a  smile. 

Jesus  was  yet  in  the  wavering  balance:  he  had  not  yet 
conquered  his  horror  of  being  crucified.  And  why  need 
he  face  this  horror.''  He  had  only  to  speak  the  word,  and 
Jacobus,  with  all  Israel  at  his  back,  would  spring  to  arms, 
and  instead  of  dying  ignominiously  and  horribly,  there 
was  the  World's  Crown  offered  him.  What  need  to  suffer 
and  die  when  even  his  Father  in  Heaven  had  forsaken  him. 
In  this,  his  last  extremity,  there  was  no  Bath  Quol,  no  voice 
of  God,  no  angels  in  the  sky.  Except  one  whom  his 
heart  knew,  there  was  not  a  being,  human  or  divine,  who 
would  stand  by  him  and  stay  him  up  in  this  his  hour  of 
need. 

Jesus  had  charged  the  disciples  to  watch,  with  a  vague 
idea  of  warning  or  flight.  He  might  once  more  flee  away 
and  at  least  put  off  the  evil  day,  and  perhaps  God  in 
mercy  would  show  other  means,  as  He  did  to  Abraham. 
And  so  in  his  agony  Jesus  prayed  that  this  cup  might 
pass,  and  that  some  other  way  might  be  shown. 

When  Jesus  at  last  arose,  he  saw  a  figure  draped  in 
white,  kneeling  on  the  ground  near  him.  His  first  thought 
was  that  God  had  sent  an  angel  at  last  to  rescue  him.  At 
the  instant,  the  moon,  sailing  swiftly  out  from  behind  a 
cloud,  showed  to  him  Mary  of  Magdala,  and  sJie  was 
praying.  Her  white  face,  wan  and  pale,  turned  upwards 
in  the  pure  moonlight,  was  almost  too  beautiful  to  be  of 


GETHSEMANE  521 

earth.     Jesus  was  awed !     Could  it  be  Mary  herself  or  was 
it  her  angel,  who  at  all  times  beheld  the  face  of  the  Father? 

At  last  Mary  opened  her  eyes,  and,  looking  upon  Jesus, 
smiled,  as  if  with  all  her  sadness  she  was  glad.  It  w-as 
the  rainbow  over  the  cataract.  And  Jesus  felt  his  heart 
swell  and  his  whole  being  lifted  into  a  new  life,  as  if, 
casting  aside  as  a  soiled  garment  his  body  of  clay,  he  was 
at  once  cleansed  of  all  that  pertained  to  it,  hopes,  fears, 
obstructions,  and  was  at  last  truly  the  very  Son  of  God. 

Light,  fleecy  clouds,  diaphanous  and  gauzy,  edged  and 
shot  through  with  silver  and  golden  light,  in  swiftly 
changing  shapes  were  streaming  past  the  moon,  and  Jesus 
and  Mary,  looking  up,  thought  they  saw  the  Angel  Host, 
and  heard  heavenly  voices  singing  and  praising  God. 
While  they  watched  and  listened,  breathless,  the  moon 
passed  under  a  thick,  black  cloud,  and  there  were  patter- 
ing drops  of  rain. 

"  And  so  it  is  really  the  will  of  God  that  Salvation 
should  come  by  me,"  said  Jesus  reverently.  "  Amen. 
And  thou,  Mary,  art  the  herald  of  good  tidings.  Thou 
art  God's  messenger  to  me." 

Jesus  and  Mary  arose  from  their  knees  and  looked 
towards  Jerusalem.  The  Temple  Towers  were  still  blaz- 
ing with  light,  and  farther  away  up  on  the  slope  of  Zion, 
marked  also  with  innumerable  lamps,  were  seen  the  pal- 
aces of  Pilate,  of  Caiaphas,  and  of  Annas.  As  they 
gazed,  out  from  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city  streamed  a 
great  company  of  men  bearing  torches,  and  came  swiftly 
along  on  the  road  leading  to  Olivet.  Both  Jesus  and 
Mary  knew  what  it  meant.     Mary  had  not  yet  spoken. 

"  Thou  art  in  God's  hands,"  she  said.  "  I  had  thought 
with  my  weak  hands  to  deliver  thee  from  death ;  but  God 
hath  shown  me  the  truth  as  thou  hast  taught  it.  I  am 
but  a  meddler.     God  will  do  what  He  will  with  His  own." 

The  parting  of  Jesus  and  Mary  at  Gethsemane  requires 
no  veil.     A  love  like  theirs  may  stand  sublimely  bare  and 


522  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

nude,  as  a  sunbeam  or  a  flower.  Jesus  explained  to  Mary 
that  he  was  now  reconciled  to  death  and  no  longer  feared 
it,  and  that  if  he  died  now  he  would  come  again.  Mary 
was  comforted  by  this  assurance,  for  she  believed  it  im- 
plicitly ;  and  yet  there  was  still  in  her  the  human  shrinking 
from  the  pain  of  separation  and  the  horror  of  death. 
And  now  the  tramp  of  many  feet  and  the  clatter  of  arms 
are  heard,  and  from  below  the  hill  the  light  of  torches 
flares  upwards,  flickering  among  the  treetops  and  along 
the  wall  above. 

Jesus  started  to  go:  he  thought  to  meet  the  guard  in 
time  to  prevent  the  arrest  of  the  disciples,  who  were  still 
asleep.  Mary,  who  had  fallen  to  her  knees,  caught  at 
Jesus'  robe  and  detained  him.  "  Oh,  and  without  one 
word !  "  she  cried, —  a  bitter  cry.  Jesus  turned  and  placed 
a  hand  on  Mary's  head.  They  gazed  long  in  each  other's 
eyes,  but  it  was  a  gaze  purified  from  all  earthly  taint,  a 
mingling  of  pure  souls.  There  were  no  more  words,  and 
no  parting  kiss.  Jesus  only  went  silently  away,  and  Mary 
was  satisfied. 


LXV 
NO  WAVERING 

"When  they  which  were  about  him  saw  what  would  follow,  they 
said  unto  him,  Lord,  shall  we  smite  with  the  sword?" — Luke  xxii-49. 

When  Jesus  came  where  the  disciples  were,  he  found 
them  all  asleep.  He  had  fully  accepted  the  fate  that 
awaited  him,  and  no  longer  thought  of  flight.  His  only 
care  now  was  to  save  his  disciples  from  sharing  his  doom. 
He  therefore  awakened  them,  and  showing  them  the  ap- 
proaching Guards,  told  them  to  fly.  This  the  disciples 
would  have  done  at  once,  but  while  Jesus  was  arousing 
them  there  appeared  streaming  in  upon  them  from  all 
directions  a  considerable  body  of  armed  men,  and  their 
leader,  a  giant  in  armor  and  bearing  a  huge  sword  like 
that  of  Gohath  of  old,  called  out  to  them  to  stand. 

They  all  immediately  recognized  Jacobus  in  the  leader, 
and  their  courage  and  hopes  were  at  once  so  much  revived 
that  they  thought  at  first  that  the  Great  Day  and  hour 
had  surely  arrived.  But  by  this  the  Temple  Guards 
were  so  near  at  hand  that  there  was  no  time  for  coming  to 
any  understanding,  and  Jesus,  turning  away  from 
Jacobus  and  the  disciples,  went  forward  to  meet  the 
Guards  with  the  design  to  deliver  himself  up,  and  thereby, 
if  possible,  save  his  disciples  and  also  prevent  a  conflict 
with  Jacobus.  But  when  Jesus  went  forward,  Jacobus 
and  his  band,  with  all  the  disciples  among  them,  followed 
close  behind,  while  Jacobus  himself  was  almost  at  Jesus' 
side.  But  Jesus  gave  no  sign  that  he  recognized  Jacobus 
or  was  even  aware  of  his  presence. 

The  Guards  having  now  all  got  within  the  garden  en- 
closure, Jesus  called  out  to  them,  asking  whom  they  sought. 
In  the  glare  of  the  torches  the  Captain  of  the  Guards  was 

523 


524  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

easy  to  distinguish,  and  close  beside  him,  Judas.  By  this, 
Jesus,  with  Jacobus  and  his  band,  had  drawn  so  near  that 
they  could  be  plainly  seen  by  the  Guards,  and  some  among 
them,  recognizing  the  renowned  leader  of  the  Zealots,  at 
once  whispered  the  discovery  to  others,  and  in  a  moment 
there  was  almost  a  panic  of  fear  among  the  Guards,  many 
of  them  still  suffering  from  the  hurts  they  had  received 
at  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple. 

But  Jesus,  seeing  their  fear,  called  out  to  reassure  them, 
and  told  them  that  he  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  that  he 
would  go  with  them  himself  without  resistance,  if  they 
would  spare  the  disciples  and  those  who  were  with  him. 
To  this  the  Captain  of  the  Guards,  in  great  fear  of  Jaco- 
bus and  his  band,  at  once  agreed,  much  to  the  chagrin 
of  Judas,  who  had  designated  John  as  a  chief  disciple  of 
Jesus  and  one  who  should  not  escape.  Jesus  now  started 
forward  to  deliver  himself  up,  but  was  arrested  by  Jaco- 
bus, who  besought  him  not  to  do  so. 

"  You  must  know,"  he  said,  "  the  fate  that  awaits  you ! 
And  these  cravens  we  can  brush  aside  like  cobwebs.  Re- 
member how  easily  we  prevailed  in  the  Temple  that  day. 
It  is  weak  and  cowardly  to  give  up  all  in  this  way,  and 
when  we  have  arms  in  our  hands.  The  fate  of  Israel  and 
of  the  world  hangs  now  on  one  brave  word  from  you. 
Speak :  shall  we  smite  them  ?  " 

In  the  meantime  Peter,  who,  with  Simon  Zelotes  and 
Judas,  had  carried  short  swords  under  their  abas,  had  got 
out  his  sword,  and  seeing  the  cowardly  fear  of  the  Guard 
and  believing  that  a  conflict  was  now  inevitable,  had  pro- 
voked a  quarrel  with  a  servant  of  Caiaphas  whom  he  knew, 
and  with  some  bravado  and  loud  talk  had  slashed  off  his 
ear.  Jesus,  seeing  the  imminent  peril  into  which  the  rash- 
ness of  Peter  was  bringing  them,  left  Jacobus  and  hastened 
to  interfere,  rebuking  Peter  severely.  He  told  him  to  put 
up  his  sword  and  cease  to  think  of  any  violence.  , 

"  A  sword  will  indeed  go  out  after  the  enemies  of  God," 


NO  WAVERING  525 

he  said.  "  God  may  employ  the  sword  to  accomphsh  His 
purposes,  but  man  may  not  do  so.  The  mission  of  the  Son 
of  Man  is  Peace." 

And  Jesus  put  out  his  hand,  and  allowed  himself  to  be 
bound  and  led  away. 

When  Jacobus  and  the  disciples  saw  that  Jesus  was 
fully  determined  to  permit  no  violence,  and  voluntarily 
surrendered  himself  to  be  bound,  they  felt  that  there  was 
nothing  more  to  be  said  or  done.  They  knew  that  the 
Jerusalem  Hierarchy  w^ould  proceed  promptly  and  with  a 
high  hand  against  all  who  had  been  prominent  in  their  sup- 
port of  Jesus,  and  they  all  became  suddenly  aware  that 
their  own  heads  were  in  danger.  Jacobus  and  his  band 
utterly  disgusted  with  what  they  looked  upon  as  pol- 
troonery in  Jesus,  at  once  scattered  and  disappeared,  as 
silently  and  mysteriously  as  they  had  come. 

The  disciples,  after  a  hasty  consultation,  decided  to 
break  up  and  get  back  to  Galilee  as  the  only  course  of 
safety,  though  Peter  and  John,  with  some  show  of 
bravery,  declared  that  they  would  remain  in  hiding  for  a 
while,  or  at  least  till  they  could  learn  the  fate  of  the 
INIaster.  John  was  acquainted  with  some  of  the  head  serv- 
ants at  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  and  he  thought  they 
might  so  disguise  themselves  as  to  escape  recognition. 

And  so  while  the  rest  at  once  started  back  on  the  road 
towards  Galilee,  Peter  and  John,  cautiously  following  the 
torches,  which  they  c«uld  now  see  crossing  the  bridge  over 
the  Kidron,  with  faint,  despairing  hearts  bent  their  steps 
towards  Jerusalem. 


LXVI 
PETER'S  DENIAL 

"  When  Peter,  therefore,  began  to  curse  and  swear  on  that  dismal 
night  of  temptation,  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  it  was  something 
foreign  to  his  former  habits.  He  merely  relapsed!" — Thompson: 
"  The  Land  and  the  Book." 

In  the  suddenness  and  haste  of  the  call  to  arrest  Jesus 
definite  instructions  had  not  been  given  to  the  Captain  of 
the  Guard,  and  he,  supposing  that  Annas,  as  the  real  head 
of  the  Hierarchy,  would  assume  control  of  Jesus,  took  him 
at  once  to  the  palace  of  Annas.  But  Annas'  wife  decided 
this  matter  very  promptly.  She  was  indignant  that  any 
one  should  presume  to  defile  the  immaculate  cleanliness  and 
order  of  her  house  by  the  entrance  of  such  an  unclean 
rabble  of  Guards  and,  as  she  said,  lifting  her  hand  in  hor- 
ror, "  a  malefactor."  She  told  Annas  that  he  must  order 
the  company  to  proceed  elsewhere,  and  so  Annas  ordered 
the  Captain  to  take  Jesus  to  Caiaphas,  and  keep  guard 
over  him  there  till  morning,  when  he  himself  would  come 
and  see  what  was  best  to  be  done. 

This  order  of  Annas  required  another  long  march 
through  the  city,  and  now  it  was  raining  again.  When 
they  arrived  at  the  palace  of  Caiaphas  it  was  long  past 
midnight  and  Jesus,  from  lack  of  sleep,  wet  with  the  rain, 
and  chilled  through  by  the  night  air,  was  riot  only  ex- 
hausted and  wretched  in  body,  but  excessive  effort  and  long 
suffering  had  obscured  the  clearness  of  his  mind.  He  felt 
that  he  was  at  a  great  disadvantage,  and  would  be  unable 
to  answer  and  defend  himself  against  the  experienced  and 
crafty  old  lawyers  and  doctors  who  would  question  him. 
He  almost  succumbed  to  a  panic  of  fear  that,  through 
sheer  weakness  of  the  flesh,  he  would  say  or  do  something 
to  discredit  his  mission,  his  work.     And  so,  as  he  dragged 

526 


PETER'S  DENIAL  627 

his  weary  steps  along  through  the  muddy  streets,  there 
was  constantly  in  his  heart  a  wordless  prayer  to  God  for 
strength  and  guidance. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  palace  of  Caiaphas,  they  were 
ushered  into  the  great  open  court,  roofless  and  bare,  such 
as  belonged  to  all  great  houses  in  the  East.  The  Temple 
Guard,  lawless,  pampered  and  unused  to  exposure,  were 
cold  and  wet  and  in  bad  temper.  They  thought  themselves 
ill-used,  to  be  kept  all  night  from  their  warm  beds  and 
forced  to  stand  out  in  rain  and  mud  on  so  slight  an  oc- 
casion. 

Meantime  Peter  and  John,  skulking  behind,  came  to  the 
gate  and  knocked.  As  John  had  anticipated,  the  gate  was 
opened  by  one  whom  he  knew,  and  he  was  admitted.  After 
talking  to  the  gate  keeper,  John  prevailed  upon  her  to 
admit  Peter  also.  But  John,  knowing  the  enmity  of 
Judas  and  seeing  him  with  the  Guard  about  the  fire,  dared 
not  show  himself,  but  kept  concealed  in  a  dark  corner  near 
the  gate,  where  he  could  see  without  being  seen  and  where 
he  was  supplied  by  the  gate  keeper  with  a  dry  cloak. 

Peter,  having  no  fear  of  Judas  and  suffering  from  cold 
and  wet,  after  hanging  about  in  the  background  for  some 
time  at  last  plucked  up  courage  to  press  in  among  the 
Guards  and  get  near  enough  to  the  fire  to  get  a  little 
warmth  from  it.  He  had  pulled  the  cape  of  his  aba  over 
his  head  so  as  to  conceal  his  face  as  much  as  possible,  but 
when  he  came  crowding  in  among  the  Guards,  he  was  eyed 
suspiciously. 

Finally  one  of  them,  a  sturdy  rogue,  said,  "  This  fellow 
must  be  one  of  the  followers  of  this  Nazarene  King  of  the 
Jews." 

At  the  same  time  he  pulled  away  the  cape  from  Peter's 
face,  and  called  out  to  Judas,  who  stood  near,  "  Judas, 
isn't  this  one  of  them?     Don't  you  know  this  fellow?  " 

Judas  had  no  enmity  against  Peter  and  made  only  an 
evasive  answer,  which  so  encouraged  Peter  that  he  boldly 


528  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

denied  that  he  belonged  to  Jesus'  following.  "  You  mis- 
take jour  man,"  he  said,     "  I  don't  know  him." 

But  many  eyes  were  now  fixed  upon  Peter,  and  there 
were  whisperings  and  dark  looks  which  made  Peter  very 
uneasy,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  warmed  himself  a  little  he 
slunk  away  and  went  out  into  the  porch. 

But  by  this  time  more  of  a  crowd  had  gathered,  and 
there  were  men  on  the  porch  whispering  and  talking  ear- 
nestly together,  and  a  maid  who  had  seen  Peter  come  in  with 
John,  now  passing  that  way,  called  out  to  the  bystanders 
and  pointed  out  Peter  as  one  who  belonged  to  Jesus,  Peter, 
startled  by  this  second  attack  and  thinking  now  only  of 
his  own  peril,  denied  again  and  with  more  emphasis ;  but 
he  saw  that  the  bystanders  winked  knowingly  to  each  other 
and  watched  him  suspiciously.  Then  in  the  porch  he  soon 
felt  the  cold  again  in  his  wet  clothes,  and  the  glowing  fire 
became  an  irresistible  attraction. 

Peter  went  in  and  again  pushed  his  way  cautiously  to- 
wards the  fire ;  but  he  had  no  sooner  got  where  he  could 
feel  a  little  of  its  warmth  than  one  of  the  Guard,  a  talk- 
ative, blustering  fellow,  spoke  to  Peter  and  said,  "  Hello, 
neighbor,  you  seem  to  be  as  wet  and  cold  as  that  King 
Jesus  over  there.  I  reckon  you  are  one  of  those  who  were 
with  him.  By  the  Temple  of  God!  I  think  I  saw  you 
there  in  the  garden." 

Peter  was  now  thoroughly  alarmed;  he  was  no  longer  a 
disciple  of  Jesus,  or  even  a  respectable  Jew.  He  had  re- 
verted to  Simon,  Son  of  Jona ;  he  was  again  a  rough  fish- 
erman of  Galilee,  contending  for  his  life. 

"  Man,"  he  said,  bristling  up,  "  what  are  you  talking 
about?  I  know  nothing  of  this  Jesus  you  speak  of.  By 
the  Great  Mazar  of  Chorazin,  it  is  thou,  more  like,  who  art 
a  Nazarene.     A  curse  light  on  thy  great  grandfather." 

Peter  had  been  squatting  by  the  fire,  and  he  now  raised 
himself  and  looked  about  as  if  in  indignation.     Jesus  had 


PETER'S  DENIAL  629 

not  been  permitted  to  come  near  the  fire  or  even  to  sit  down. 
He  was  suffering  extremely  from  the  cold,  and  was  so  weak 
and  exhausted  he  could  hardly  stand.  He  was  beginning 
to  lose  consciousness,  and  would  soon  have  fallen  where  he 
stood. 

He  had  supposed  that  all  his  disciples  had  deserted  him, 
as  he  had  expected  they  would,  and  he  believed  himself  to 
be  left  to  his  fate,  without  a  friend  in  the  world;  but  when 
he  saw  Peter  come  in  and  walk  boldl}'^  to  the  fire,  his  heart 
swelled  with  love  and  pride,  and  he  straightened  himself 
with  new  resolve.  That  a  single  believer  remained  faith- 
ful and  true  was  enough ;  he  would  die  Morthily  even  for 
his  sake.  And  now,  as  he  watched  and  listened,  he  heard 
the  sneering  accusation  of  the  Guard  and  then  Peter's  an- 
swer. 

For  a  moment  the  court,  the  lights,  and  the  fire  swam 
around  him,  and  he  had  like  to  have  fallen.  Was  there, 
then,  no  faith  or  truth  in  man?  It  was  the  final  blow. 
Then  there  came  to  his  aid  that  last  resource  of  all  great 
souls,  the  noble  pride  of  a  man,  a  Son  of  God.  Though 
friendless,  utterly  alone  in  the  great  universe,  he  would  be 
true  to  himself  and  to  his  origin.  His  heart  leaped  within 
him ;  the  hot  blood  surged  to  cheek  and  brow ;  and  again  he 
could  look  upon  the  woi'ld  and  death  and  Hell  with  the 
steadfast  eye  of  their  King  and  Master. 

When  Peter  arose  from  before  the  fire,  a  great  cock, 
which  with  many  others  had  been  brought  in  from  the 
country  for  Caiaphas'  table  and  was  confined  in  a  hamper 
in  the  court,  crowed  so  loudly  and  so  startlingly  that  Peter 
could  not  but  remember  what  Jesus  had  said  only  a  few 
hours  before  about  a  cock  crowing.  He  did  not  know  that 
Jesus  was  so  near,  but  now  the  one  object  that,  like  a  lode- 
stone,  drew  and  riveted  his  gaze  was  Jesus'  eyes,  fixed  upon 
him  in  mild  but  awful  reproach. 

That  look  Peter  never  forgot.     As  the  years  passed  it 


530  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

grew  in  his  mind  and  heart  till  it  became  a  perpetual 
presence  in  his  life;  it  made  of  him  "  Petros  the  Stone" 
Every  morning  thereafter,  as  long  as  he  lived,  found  Peter 
at  cock-crowmg  on  his  knees  and  in  tears. 


LXVII 
FORSAKEN 

"  Justin  Martyr  thrice  asserts  that  all  the  acquaintances  of  Jesus 
forsook  him  and  dispersed,  until  the  reappearance  of  Jesus  recalled 
them  to  their  adherence  to  their  faith.  They  fled  to  Galilee  and  did 
not  linger  in  Jerusalem." —  Keim. 

When  the  capture  of  Jesus  was  announced  to  Caiaphas, 
he  at  once  sent  messengers  to  all  the  Sanhedrists,  request- 
ing their  immediate  attendance  at  his  palace.  He  knew 
that  only  those  of  his  own  party  or  cabal  would  attend  at 
so  unseasonable  an  hour,  and  this  was  agreeable  to  his  and 
Annas'  plan.  Numbers  of  the  leading  Sanhedrists,  as 
Gamaliel  and  Nicodemus  and  Joseph,  were  known  to  be  un- 
alterably opposed  to  any  proceedings  against  Jesus,  and 
there  was  still  the  lurking  fear  that  the  people,  under  the 
leadership  of  the  Zealots,  might  yet  be  found  obstinately 
adhering  to  their  Messiah  and  Prophet  of  Nazareth. 
Hence  the  unseemly  haste. 

As  soon  as  ten  of  the  seventy-one  members  of  the 
Sanhedrin  had  assembled,  the  so-called  trial  of  Jesus  was 
begun.  Some  minions  of  Annas  were  called  as  witnesses, 
but  their  testimony  was  so  absurd  and  contradictory  that 
Caiaphas  began  to  despair  of  getting  even  a  decent  excuse 
for  his  violent  proceedings.  But  Jesus,  knowing  that  if 
not  in  one  wa}',  then  in  another,  he  would  be  condemned, 
and  wishing  above  all  else  to  hasten  the  end  while  yet  he 
had  courage  and  strength  to  meet  it  manfully,  voluntarily 
made  the  confession  that  alone  was  used  to  convict  him. 

In  answer  to  Caiaphas'  question,  he  declared  himself  to 
be  the  Messiah  and  Son  of  God,  and  told  Caiaphas  and  the 
rest  that  they  would  live  to  see  him  come  in  the  clouds  with 
Angels,  and  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  God.     This  amaz- 

531 


532  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

ing  declaration  thej  all  believed  to  be  nothing  but  the 
frenzy  of  a  mad-man,  but  technically,  according  to  Jewish 
law,  it  was  also  blasphemy;  and  so  all  the  judges  present 
declared  it  to  be,  and  the  penalty,  of  course,  was  death. 

Caiaphas  rent  his  fine  white  robe  and  pronounced  Jesus 
accursed.  But  at  this  time  no  Jewish  court  had  the  power 
to  punish  capitally, —  and  crucifixion  was  never  a  Jewish 
punishment.  Technically,  Jesus  might  have  been  stoned 
under  Jewish  law,  but  never  crucified.  And  the  cabal  that 
condemned  him  was  determined  on  crucifixion  as  the  most 
terrible  and  appalling  punishment  known.  The  plan  had 
all  been  arranged  beforehand,  as  Mary  had  told  Jesus,  and 
he  understood  it ;  knowing  it  was  useless  to  make  any  de- 
fense, he  did  not  attempt  any. 

It  was  Friday  morning,  the  fifteenth  day  of  April,  a 
religious  Feast  Day,  one  of  the  most  important  and  sacred 
of  the  Jewish  calendar.  These  priests  and  lawyers  and 
doctors  who  were  seeking  the  life  of  Jesus  were  all  strict 
churchmen  and  devout  religionists.  They  must  by  no 
means  neglect  the  demands  of  Mother  Church,  and  it  was 
quite  a  question  with  them  whether  it  was  lawful  to  engage 
in  such  business  on  so  sacred  an  occasion ;  their  sensitive 
and  veracious  consciences  tormented  them  about  the  iniquity 
of  doing  carnal  business  on  such  a  holy  day.  But  some 
of  the  lawyers  said  there  were  precedents;  and  they  found, 
besides,  some  assuagement  in  the  reflection  that  so  great  a 
good  as  the  murder  of  Jesus  would  go  far  before  God  to 
excuse  the  desecration  of  His  holy  day. 

Besides,  by  hurrying  through  with  the  disagreeable 
business  they  would  yet  have  time  to  perform  most  of  the 
religious  ceremonies  and  repeat  all  the  prayers.  And  so 
they  salved  their  consciences  for  breaking  the  Feast  Day, 
and  went  boldly  forward.  It  was  nearly  day  when  the 
trial  was  ended  at  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  and  Jesus,  having 
been  condemned  to  death  by  the  cabal,  was  taken  forthwith 
to  the  palace  of  Pilate  for  his  confirmation  of  the  sentence. 


FORSAKEN  633 

Jesus,  with  the  sleepy,  angry,  and  swearing  Guard,  again 
took  to  the  muddy  street,  and  the  Rabbis  in  luxurious 
palanquins  were  carried  by  slaves  to  the  palace  of  Pilate. 
It  was  not  yet  quite  day,  but  Pilate  had  acquired  the 
Eastern  habit  of  early  rising  and  was  already  up.  The 
Temple  Guard  delivered  Jesus  bound  to  the  Roman  Guard, 
who  were  always  in  attendance  at  the  palace  of  Pilate,  and 
then  retired.  Neither  they  nor  the  priests  nor  doctors  nor 
lawyers  who  had  come  to  demand  the  execution  of  Jesus 
would  enter  the  house  of  a  "  heathen  "  on  the  Feast  Day, 
because  they  would  thereby  be  made  "  unclean  "  and  be 
incapacitated  for  making  the  usual  sacrifices  to  God  and 
repeating  the  prayers.  And  so  they  remained  without,  on 
a  broad  open  space  called  the  "  Pavement,"  which  was  be- 
fore the  house  of  Pilate. 

By  Roman  law  and  usage  Pilate  might  have  required 
the  accusers  of  Jesus  to  come  within  and  prefer  their 
charges  regularly  in  the  Judgment  Hall  designed  for  such 
purposes,  but,  urged  by  Procula,  he  disdainfully  yielded 
the  point  and  went  out  on  the  porch,  and  there  asked  of  the 
Rabbis  what  it  was  that  they  charged  Jesus  with. 

They  answered  at  first  that  he  was  a  malefactor,  that 
they  had  given  him  due  trial  and  found  him  worthy  of 
death,  and  asked  Pilate  to  confirm  the  sentence.  But 
Pilate,  who  already  knew  about  how  the  matter  stood,  told 
them  to  go  away  and  deal  with  Jesus  as  their  own  Law 
directed.  This  Pilate  did,  knowing  that  they  could  no 
more  than  sentence  Jesus  to  be  stoned,  and  that,  for  fear  of 
the  people,  they  would  not  dare  attempt.  But  the  Rabbis 
were  not  to  be  thus  foiled  and  at  once  set  up  the  accusation 
that  Jesus'  chief  offense  was  against  Rome. 

They  told  how  Jesus  had  been  in  league  with  the  Zealots 
for  many  years,  and  how  Jacobus  and  his  band,  under 
orders  from  Jesus,  had  made  an  attack  on  the  Tem- 
ple, disordering  all  affairs  and  causing  great  losses 
to  "  business  men  "  in  Jerusalem.     It  was  well  known,  of 


534<  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

course,  that  the  Zealots  were  opposed  to  Rome,  and  refused 
to  pa  J  taxes ;  and  Jesus  was  one  of  them.  He  refused  to 
pay  taxes,  and  had  set  himself  up  to  be  a  King.  Pilate 
was  not  for  a  moment  deceived,  for  Varus  had  kept  him  in- 
formed about  all  these  matters,  and  he  knew  well  how  these 
crafty  old  Rabbis  could  make  trouble  for  him  at  Rome; 
and  so  he  thought  it  the  best  policy  to  make  some  con- 
cessions. 

Besides,  Procula,  who  had  seen  Jesus  and  heard  him 
talk,  had  urged  Pilate  to  see  him  and  talk  with  him.  She 
believed  that  Pilate  would  be  deeply  impressed  with  him, 
as  she  had  been.  And  so  Pilate  went  back  into  the  Judg- 
ment Hall,  where  Jesus  was  alone  with  the  soldiers,  and 
called  him  before  him.  Outwardly,  Jesus  was  in  bad 
plight  to  answer  for  his  life.  He  was  exceedingly  worn, 
and  his  feet  and  garments  were  bedraggled  with  mud.  His 
hair  and  beard  and  clothing  were  disordered  and  soiled. 
Then  at  the  palace  of  Caiaphas,  some  minions  of  the  High 
Priest,  anxious  to  show  their  zeal  and  servility,  had  struck 
him  in  the  face,  leaving  black  marks  and  a  smear  of  blood. 
But  Jesus  was  now  in  that  exalted  state  to  which  all  true 
martyrs  attain:  a  state  in  which  neither  weariness,  pain, 
fear,  sickness  nor  any  mortal  ill  has  power ;  and  he  stood 
up  erect  before  Pilate  and  met  his  stern,  scrutinizing  gaze 
with  a  calm  and  majestic  serenity  that  amazed  Pilate. 
Jesus  faced  this  proud  representative  of  almighty  Rome 
and  the  Caesars  with  the  same  simple  dignity  that  he  did 
every  other  man,  without  defiance  and  without  servility, — 
as  a  brother  man! 

After  looking  at  Jesus  for  a  time  in  silence,  Pilate 
spoke  abstractedly,  as  if  half  communing  with  himself, 
"  Thou  art  indeed  a  King."  Then  directly  to  Jesus : 
"  They  charge  against  thee  that  thou  hast  set  up  to  be 
King  of  the  Jews.     What  answer  makest  thou?  " 

"  Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  King,  as  do  the  Jews ;  and  so 
I  am.     But  my  Kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.     The  serv- 


FORSAKEN  535 

ants  of  a  King  fight  for  Kingdom  and  crOwn ;  and  so  will 
my  servants  fight,  not  with  sword  and  spear  but  with  the 
soul,  with  heart  and  mind.  They  shall  do  battle,  even  as 
do  I,  unto  death.  Dost  thou  ask  to  what  end.''  That  man 
may  cease  to  wrong  his  brother  man,  that  justice  and 
righteousness  may  prevail,  and  that  all  men  may  see  and 
know  the  Truth." 

Jesus  knew  that  the  Roman  Governor  was  a  man  of  edu- 
cation and  culture,  and  he  talked  to  him  as  he  had  to  Nic- 
odenms  and  Joseph  and  some  others  whom  he  knew  would 
understand.  Pilate  gazed  upon  Jesus  more  than  ever 
amazed. 

"  Yes !  See  and  know  the  Truth,"  he  murmured,  and 
repeated  to  himself,  "  See  and  know  the  Truth !  This  is 
what  the  Philosophers  have  been  seeking  from  Thales  down 
to  our  poor  Seneca.  Yes,  Truth.  Truth!  What  is 
Truth?  " 

And  Pilate,  profoundly  moved  by  the  words,  and  more 
by  the  manner,  of  Jesus,  walked  up  and  down  the  jasper 
pavement  of  the  Pra^torium,  while  the  rude  soldiers  in  the 
background  stared  and  wondered.  Pilate  was  thinking  of 
his  own  lost  youth :  of  its  pure  and  noble  aspirations,  of 
the  venerable  old  Greek  who  taught  him  Philosophy  and 
discoursed  of  Xenophanes  and  Plato  and  Socrates. 

"  And  these  besotted  Jews  would  kill  this  man  because 
he  would  try  to  have  them  know  the  Truth.  And  so  goes 
the  world.      Socrates  died  that  way." 

So  soliloquized  Pilate.  Then,  turning  to  Jesus,  he  said, 
"  I  see  nothing  worthy  of  death  in  thee.     Thou  art  free !  " 

Pilate  then  ordered  the  officer  of  the  Guard  to  unbind 
Jesus  and  let  him  go,  while  he  himself  went  out  on  the 
porch  above  the  pavement  and  gave  his  decision  to  the 
Jews. 

Meanwhile  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  careful  not  to  be  per- 
sonally present,  had  been  very  active.  They  had  ordered 
out    all    the    swarm    of    priests,    Levites,    traders,    money- 


536  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

changers,  and  hangers-on  about  the  Temple,  to  appear 
and  help  sustain  the  accusation  against  Jesus  at  the  palace 
of  Pilate.  All  the  slaves,  servants,  and  armed  retainers  of 
the  great  Rabbis  of  their  party  were  also  sent  thither. 
The  clubmen  of  Phabi  and  the  spearmen  of  Boethus,  the 
Temple  Guard,  and  the  Clubmen  of  Annas  were  likewise 
ordered  thither,  with  instructions  not  only  to  swell  the 
cry  against  Jesus,  but  to  silence  with  force  any  expression 
of  the  people  in  Jesus'  defense.  There  was  also  a  great 
number  of  common  people  in  Jerusalem  who  got  an  easy 
living  from  the  Temple  and  its  services,  and  who,  under 
the  cloak  of  religion,  could  be  depended  on  to  cry  down 
anything  that  threatened  a  change.  These  were  stirred 
up  by  Annas'  messengers  and  were  present  in  force.  And 
so  when  Pilate  went  out  on  the  balcony  to  address  the  peo- 
ple, he  saw  before  him  an  immense  throng,  among  whom 
the  few  friends  of  Jesus  dared  not  raise  a  voice. 

At  the  moment  when  Pilate  appeared  on  the  balcony, 
Jesus  was  thrust  forth  from  below,  and  Pilate,  pointing 
to  him,  told  the  Jews,  with  bitter  irony,  that  he  had  given 
them  back  their  King  and  that  their  accusation  seemed  to 
him  foolish  and  whimsical,  and  that  he  could  see  no  fault 
in  him. 

"  Now,  it  being  the  custom,"  he  said,  "  that  I  release 
unto  you  one  prisoner  at  this  time,  let  me  advise  that  you 
choose  this  Jesus  to  be  set  free." 

The  crowd,  already  instructed  what  to  say,  raised  the 
cry  of  "  Barabbas,  not  this  Jesus,  but  Barabbas !  Barab- 
bas  !     Barabbas !  " 

Now  Barabbas  was  the  son  of  a  noted  Rabbi  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  had  been  very  popular  there;  and  so  his  father 
had  been  able  to  prevail  on  Annas  to  allow  an  effort  to 
be  made  to  save  him.  Barabbas'  Zealot  proclivities  were 
well  known  to  Annas,  but  he  trusted,  as  assured  by  the 
young  man's  father,  that  he  might  by  this  experience  be 
reformed;  and  as  it  was  a  choice  between  Barabbas  and 


FORSAKEN  537 

Jesus,  there  could  be  no  question  with  Annas  who  should 
be  saved.  An  so  when  Pilate  asked  what  he  should  do 
with  Jesus,  who  was  innocent,  while  Barabbas,  as  was  well 
known,  had  been  a  troublesome  Zealot  and  a  raiser  of  se- 
dition, again,  in  obedience  to  instructions,  the  answer  was 
given:     "Crucify  him!     Crucify  him!" 

This  clamor  was  so  great  and  prolonged  that  Pilate  at 
last  raised  his  hand  in  token  of  surrender,  and  when  he  had 
obtained  silence  he  told  the  Jews  that  to  afford  them  satis- 
faction, and  not  because  he  believed  Jesus  to  be  guilty, 
he  would  have  him  scourged,  and  that  was  all  he  would 
allow  to  be  done  to  him.  Then,  without  waiting  for  an 
answer,  Pilate  withdrew,  and  his  guard  were  ordered  to 
take  Jesus  and  scourge  him,  as  was  customary  to  do  with 
all  malefactors. 

Pilate  would  willingly  have  saved  Jesus  this  terrible 
punishment,  not  only  because  there  had  been  awakened  in 
him  a  deep  and  sincere  regard  for  Jesus,  but  also  for  Pro- 
cula's  sake,  who  that  very  morning  had,  with  tears,  im- 
portuned him  to  save  Jesus  and  set  him  free.  She  said 
she  had  been  warned  in  a  dream, —  a  thing  which  Pilate 
could  well  believe,  for,  like  all  men  of  his  day,  he  had  faith 
in  dreams.  But  this  matter  of  Jesus  Pilate  well  knew  in- 
volved questions  of  State  and  of  the  gravest  import.  All 
Israel,  from  India  and  the  Euphrates  to  farthest  Britain 
and  Hibernia,  was  in  a  ferment  about  what  they  called 
their  Messiah,  and  this  Jesus  some  thought  was  the  Messiah. 

Pilate  understood  very  little  about  the  Jewish  notions 
of  the  Messiah,  but  he  knew  that  Roman  dominion  was 
threatened,  and  to  maintain  his  own  official  position  as 
Procurator  he  must  walk  very  circumspectly.  He  remem- 
bered how  delegations  of  Rabbis  to  Rome  had  succeeded 
in  disgracing  greater  men  than  he.  He  had  already  some 
experience  of  the  craft  of  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  and 
realized  that  with  this  and  their  enormous  wealth  they 
could  doubtless  accomplish  his  ruin  at  Rome. 


538  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

And  so  he  gave  the  order  for  Jesus  to  be  scourged,  at 
the  same  time  cautioning  the  Captain  of  the  Guard  not 
to  inflict  the  extreme  penalty,  which  not  infrequently  re- 
sulted in  death.  His  order  for  clemency,  though  obeyed, 
was  not  needed,  for  Varus,  who  was  in  command  of  all  the 
soldiery  in  Jerusalem,  had  given  strict  orders  that  Jesus 
should  be  treated  with  all  possible  kindness  and  respect. 
And  so,  though  Jesus  was  scourged  and  blood  ran  down 
to  his  feet,  his  punisliment  was  considered  moderate;  his 
bones  were  not  laid  bare  by  the  lash  or  his  bowels  exposed, 
as  Cicero  tells  us  often  happened  in  Roman  scourgings. 

Jesus  bore  it  without  a  word  or  a  groan,  and  when  all  was 
done  he  sat  down  among  the  soldiers  and  talked  to  them. 
None  of  these  soldiers  of  Pilate  were  Jews,  and  some  of 
them  were  Roman  citizens.  Jesus  could  talk  to  them  now 
more  freely  than  to  Jews,  as  man  to  man,  without  preju- 
dice or  passion.  He  soon  won  their  hearts,  and  they  did 
all  they  could  in  their  rude  way  to  relieve  his  pain.  Jesus 
showed  them  how  their  wild  trade  of  war  led  inevitably  to 
sin  and  misery,  and  how  the  lives  of  millions  of  simple, 
kindly  people  were  yearly  sacrificed  merely  to  satisfy  the 
beastly  passions  of  cruel  rulers :  and  in  a  few  brief  words 
he  pictured  to  their  minds  what  they  had  never  thought  of 
before :  the  happiness  and  beauty  there  might  be  in  the 
world  if  men  would  be  just  and  love  others  as  themselves. 

Meantime  the  uproar  outside  had  begun  again,  more 
loud  and  savage  than  before,  and  the  terrible  words,  Crucify 
him !  Crucify  him !  borne  alike  to  the  ears  of  the  waver- 
ing Pilate  and  to  Jesus,  told  them  plainly  enough  that  the 
scourging  had  been  only  added  cruelty.  It  is  full  day- 
light now,  and  the  throng  outside  is  growing  momentarily. 
The  more  wealthy  and  influential  Rabbis,  too  luxurious  to 
turn  out  at  the  first  call  in  the  night,  did  not  appear  at  the 
examination  before  Caiaphas ;  but  they  are  coming  now  in 
haste. 

Standing  on  the  balcony  above,  from  which  Pilate  ad- 


FORSAKEN  539 

dresses  the  people,  we  may  see  scattered  far  and  wide 
among  the  crowd  the  Temple  Guard,  known  by  their  shin- 
ing breastplates,  and  the  Clubmen  of  Annas,  known  by 
their  livery  and  their  clubs. 

And  now,  turning  in  at  the  great  gate  by  the  tower,  is 
a  company  of  sturdy  fellows  marching  in  compact  order 
and  armed  with  spears.  They  are  the  feared  and  hated 
spearmen  of  Bocthus,  and  behind  them,  reclining  in  a 
costly  palanquin,  is  borne  by  slaves  our  old  acquaintance, 
the  Rabbi  Bocthus,  and  his  brother  Eleazer.  Closely  fol- 
lowing the  brothers  Bocthus  and  borne,  as  they,  by  slaves 
and  preceded  by  a  host  of  retainers,  come  Johanan  Ben 
Nebedai,  and  then  Simon  Kanthera,  "  the  quarrelsome," 
both  great  Rabbis,  destined  soon  to  acquire  world-wide 
fame, —  the  one  as  the  persecutor  of  Saint  Paul  and  the 
other  as  the  murderer  of  Saint  James. 

Our  old  acquaintance  Rabbi  Eliab,  and  the  lawyer  Alex- 
ander, with  several  other  Sanhedrists,  are  already  here, 
close  by  under  the  balcony.  And  now,  last  of  all,  in  a 
style  fitting  a  King,  comes  the  noted  Ishmael  Ben  Phabi, 
called  "  the  handsomest  man  of  his  day."  His  gorgeous 
palanquin  is  borne  by  giant  Nubian  slaves  in  their  native 
dress,  and  he,  too,  is  preceded  and  surrounded  by  a  large 
company  of  clubmen  scarcely  less  hated  and  feared  than 
those  of  Annas,  The  packed  throng  gives  way  before 
them  like  sheep  fleeing  from  wolves :  they  have  too  often 
felt  the  blows  from  those  silver-mounted  staves  of  ebony 
not  to  show  due  respect  for  them,  and  a  sounding  whack 
here  and  there  is  a  sufficient  reminder. 

The  crowd  has  now  grown  to  a  vast  multitude,  and  filling 
all  the  space  between  the  palace  and  the  great  tower,  it 
presses  close  upon  the  Roman  sentry  who,  simply  in  half 
armor  and  armed  only  with  a  sword,  grimly  paces  up  and 
down  before  the  tower  gate.  Above,  on  the  terraces  of 
the  tower  and  leaning  over  the  coping,  are  several  hundred 
more  of  his  fellow  soldiers,  who  are  curiously  regarding 


640  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  spectacle  as  a  very  tame  sort  of  show.  Some  of  the 
younger  ones  are  disposed  to  banter  and  poke  fun  at  the 
Jewish  throng,  but  are  sternly  reproved  by  the  officers 
among  them.  They  have  received  strict  orders  from  Pilate 
to  avoid  all  occasion  of  offense.  He  knows  well  the  frantic 
fanaticism  of  these  stubborn  Jews,  and  remembers  that  on 
this  very  spot  that  sedition  about  the  aqueduct  was  with 
difficulty  and  slaughter  put  down,  when  Barabbas  was 
identified  as  a  murderer  and  Simon,  the  brother  of  Jacobus, 
was  slain.  The  scars  of  that  terrible  day  are  yet  visible. 
The  shattered  statues  and  broken  trees  and  shrubs  have 
not  all  been  replaced,  and  a  dent  in  the  marble  wall  of  the 
balcony  where  Pilate  to-day  stands  shows  where  a  stone 
from  the  sling  of  a  maddened  Zealot  came  so  near  that 
day  to  ending  his  life. 

Within  is  Pilate,  consulting  his  counselors.  The  sug- 
gestion is  made  that  Jesus,  being  a  Galilean,  be  sent  to 
Herod  for  trial.  This  lets  in  a  ray  of  hope  and  Pilate 
grasps  at  it  eagerly.  Herod  is,  or  at  least  professes  to 
be,  a  Jew.  Let  him  adjudicate  and  answer  to  the  Jews, 
and  also  to  Rome,  for  what  is  done.  At  least  the  offer, 
coming  from  Pilate,  will  be  flattering  to  Herod's  vanity. 

Pilate,  again  confronting  the  throng,  announces  this  as 
his  decision.  Jesus  shall  go  before  Herod.  And  so,  yet 
in  the  early  morning,  Jesus  is  sent  under  Roman  guard  to 
Herod,  at  the  grand  old  palace  of  the  Maccabees.  The 
throng  of  people,  still  increasing  in  numbers,  follows  after 
and,  surrounding  the  palace,  makes  the  same  fierce  outcry 
and  demand  as  of  Pilate. 

Herod  was  at  first  pleased  and  flattered.  He  had  de- 
sired to  see  Jesus  more  from  curiosity  than  for  anything 
else;  but  when  he  came  to  meet  him  face  to  face  and  talk 
with  him,  he  was  impressed  and  perplexed  as  much  as  Pilate. 
He  saw,  as  had  Pilate,  the  reason  for  Jesus'  vast  personal 
influence  with  the  people,  and  he  trembled,  ending  his  ex- 
amination almost  in  a  panic  of  fear.     He  saw  the  true 


FORSAKEN  641 

ground  of  Pilate's  deferring  to  him,  which  made  him  the 
more  afraid  to  act  himself.  If  Pilate  dared  not  judge 
Jesus,  how  could  he?  Advised  by  the  shrewd  and  con- 
triving Herodias,  Herod  decided  to  imitate  the  policy  of 
Pilate  and  attempt  to  satisfy  the  party  of  Annas  by  in- 
sulting and  abusing  Jesus  to  the  utmost  limit  short  of 
death, —  and  then  return  him  to  Pilate. 

And  so  Jesus  was  turned  over  to  Herod's  bodyguard, 
with  what  was  sufficient, —  a  hint  that  his  life  only  was  to 
be  spared.  Unlike  the  soldiers  of  Pilate,  Herod's  Guard 
were  nearly  all  renegade  Jews  of  bad  character,  who 
scrupled  not  at  any  enormity  and,  while  yet  Jews,  would 
fight  at  a  word  against  Moses  or  the  Law,  though  they 
were  ignorant  of  IMoses  and  violated  the  Law  in  every  par- 
ticular. They  had  heard  of  Jesus,  and  entertained  a  bad 
opinion  of  him  because,  it  was  said,  he  spoke  against  Moses 
and  the  Law.  They  were  glad  to  have  an  opportunity  to 
show  their  zeal  for  Moses  and  the  Law ! 

When  Jesus  was  turned  over  to  them,  they  began  by 
abusing  him  shamefully.  They  struck  him,  spit  upon 
him,  and,  to  make  a  mock  of  his  Kingship,  they  put  a 
purple  robe  upon  him ;  and  one,  more  cunning  in  cruelty 
than  the  rest,  ran  out  and  gathered  a  quantity  of  a  thorny 
shrub,  with  which  he  made  a  sort  of  wreath  or  crown  that 
he  forced  violently  down  upon  the  head  of  Jesus.  But 
even  then  the  noble  patience  and  fortitude  of  Jesus 
at  last  prevailed.  The  soldiers,  in  a  presence  so  august, 
so  serenely  self-forgetful,  grew  ashamed.  Their  leader 
at  length  forbade  further  abuse  and  began  to  listen  to 
Jesus'  words. 

Jesus  talked  to  them  much  as  he  had  to  the  soldiers  of 
Pilate, —  not  a  word  of  complaint  or  about  himself,  but 
with  mind  and  heart  still  fixed  upon  his  work,  his  mission 
to  mankind.  A  year  later  many  of  these  soldiers  of  Herod 
were  zealous  converts  to  the  new  religion. 

When  Herod  was  told  of  the  crown  of  thorns  and  the 


642  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

purple  robe,  he  thought  it  a  pleasant  jest  to  send  Jesus 
back  to  Pilate  still  wearing  those  emblems  of  royalty,  and 
so  it  was  ordered.  When,  therefore,  Jesus,  with  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  and  the  multitudes,  returned  to  Pilate,  the 
latter  stood,  as  before,  outside  on  the  balcony  to  receive 
them.  When  he  saw  Jesus  with  the  purple  robe  and  the 
crown  of  thorns  and  all  that  was  done  to  him,  and  noted 
the  yet  serene  majesty  of  his  bearing,  he  had  Jesus  brought 
up  on  the  balcony,  where  the  whole  multitude  could  see 
him ;  and  when  he  had  obtained  silence,  he  called  out  to 
them,  pointing  with  his  hand  to  Jesus,  "  Behold  the  Man!  " 

For  a  full  minute  there  was  no  answer  or  cry.  The 
multitude  gazed  in  wonder  and  admiration,  while  the  priests 
and  lawyers  whispered  and  scowled.  Then  the  lawyer 
Alexander  brazenly  shouted  the  former  cry,  "  Away  with 
him.     Crucify  him !     Crucify  him !  " 

Instantly  it  was  taken  up  by  the  different  clubmen, 
spearmen,  and  retainers  of  the  great  Rabbis,  and  soon, 
repeated  by  the  greater  part  of  the  crowd,  it  Avas  swelled 
to  a  roar  that  seemed  to  be  the  voice  of  all  the  people. 
Pilate  was  now  aroused  and  angry.  He  was  more  than  ever 
determined  to  save  Jesus,  whose  whole  conduct  and  bearing 
grew  every  moment  in  his  respect;  but  feeling  the  neces- 
sity for  caution,  Pilate  restrained  himself,  and  after  again 
obtaining  silence,  he  attempted  to  argue  with  the  Rabbis. 
He  showed  them  that  by  no  law,  Roman  or  Jewish,  could 
Jesus  be  condemned  to  death  on  the  cross,  and  even  to 
stone  him  they  must  jfirst  convict  him  of  some  crime  in  a 
regular  way.  They  had  not  done  that.  Their  regular 
court,  the  Sanhedrin,  he  told  them  plainly,  he  knew  had 
not  been  allowed  to  pass  upon  the  case,  and  to  execute 
Jesus  now  would  be  pure  murder. 

"  Your  own  Herod,"  he  said,  "  a  Jew  like  yourselves  and 
learned  in  your  law,  decides  against  you,  just  as  I  have 
done.  And  besides,  as  I  said  before :  Behold  the  Man  him- 
self, worthy  to  be  a  King;  and  you  seek  to  murder  him. 


FORSAKEN  543 

Away  with  you,  false  and  unjust  accusers!  Away,  I  say! 
Away !  " 

Pilate  had  come  close  to  the  front  of  the  balcony,  and 
leaning  over  the  coping,  shook  his  clenched  fist  and  shouted 
loud  and  angrily.  For  a  minute  or  two  there  was  silence. 
Men  looked  from  one  to  another  with  a  vague  sense  of  fear. 
The  mailed  hand  of  Rome  was  a  thing  not  lightly  to  be 
defied.  They  had  felt  its  might  too  often  to  regard  it 
lightly.  Again  among  the  group  of  Rabbis  in  front  of 
the  balcony  there  was  whispering  and  scowling. 

This  time  Boethus,  as  the  more  crafty  and  courtly,  at 
last  spoke  in  answer  to  Pilate.  He  suavely  acknowledged 
the  truth  of  "the  most  noble  Pilate's"  objection,  but 
"  humbly  begged  leave  "  to  state  at  some  length  the  con- 
siderations that  most  influenced  them  to  push  the  matter  to 
such  an  extreme. 

"  It  is,"  he  said,  "  in  very  truth  our  loyalty  to  Caesar 
and  to  Rome.  We  are  so  sure  that  this  man  Jesus  is 
working  to  overthrow  Roman  authority  here  in  Palestine 
that,  as  true  subjects  of  Caesar,  we  have  felt  that  it  was 
right  to  proceed  as  we  have  and  safeguard  the  rights  of 
our  Lord  and  Master,  Caesar,  by  such  means  as  were  at 
hand.  For  yourself,  too,  as  our  most  noble  Governor  and 
friend  of  Caesar,  we  have  felt  that  it  was  best  that  this 
sedition  be  nipped  in  the  bud.  Evil  tongues  might  wag, 
and  Caesar  be  informed  that  thou  art  slow  to  sustain  his 
authority  or  to  put  down  one  who  sets  up  to  be  a  rival 
King.  Such  an  event.  Most  Noble  Pilate,  would  be  to  us, 
as  to  thee,  exceedingly  painful,  and  we  would  guard  against 
it  by  all  means ;  and  we  would  most  humbly  call  to  your 
mind  that  well-known  principle  in  government,  that  the 
end  may  justify  the  means.  Lastly,  as  a  charge  which 
has  not  yet  been  formally  presented  to  your  Highness, 
this  man  Jesus  has  so  far  arrogated  to  himself  the  title  of 
Caesar  as,  like  him,  to  assume  the  style  of  Son  of  God. 
For  this  cause,  among  many  others,  we  ask  his  death." 


544  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Though  this  artful  speech  did  not  deceive  Pilate,  he  was 
deeply  alarmed  by  it.  The  covert  threat  that  liis  con- 
duct would  be  reported  to  Cagsar,  and  then  this  charge 
that  Jesus  claimed  to  be  a  Son  of  God  filled  him  again 
with  doubt  and  apprehension.  He  remembered  that  Alex- 
ander and  many  other  kings  had  set  up  a  similar  claim. 
So  he  commanded  Jesus  to  follow  him,  and  withdrew  again 
into  the  Pragtorium. 

"  What  is  this,"  he  asked  when  they  were  alone,  "  what 
is  this  they  say  of  thee,  that  thou  claimest  to  be  a  Son  of 
God.?  " 

"  Thou,  too,  and  all  men  are  Sons  of  God  if  you  do 
God's  will,"  answered  Jesus,  simply. 

"  Is  that  all.?  "  asked  Pilate. 

"  That  is  all,"  answered  Jesus. 

Pilate  was  philosopher  enough  to  understand  this,  and 
yet  there  was  much  about  Jesus  yet  unexplained.  In  all 
that  had  passed,  all  the  abuse,  the  blows,  the  scourgings, 
the  crown  of  thorns,  Jesus  had  not  uttered  any  complaint, 
had  made  no  defense,  had  in  no  way  shown  any  thought  or 
care  for  himself,  but  only  for  his  doctrine,  his  work,  the 
Truth.  This  man,  brought  before  him  to  answer  and 
plead  for  his  life,  had  not  even  asked  for  what  both  Roman 
and  Jewish  Law  gave,  a  lawyer  to  defend  him.  Pilate 
could  not  understand  it. 

"  You  are  of  course  aware,"  he  said,  "  that  you  are  en- 
titled to  have  a  lawyer  appointed  by  the  Court  to  defend 
you  if  you  do  not  wish  to  defend  yourself." 

Jesus  answered  that  he  was  aware  of  it. 

"  And  you  must  know  that,  as  the  case  now  stands,  I 
have  power  to  release  you  if  I  see  fit,  and  I  can  order  you 
to  be  crucified  if  I  see  fit," 

Jesus  answered,  "  Yes,  I  know." 

"  And  you  still  decline  to  make  any  defense.?  '*  asked 
Pilate. 

Jesus  straightened  himself,  and  met  Pilate's  eyes  firmly 


FORSAKEN  54,5 

but  mildlj.  "  You,"  he  said,  "  like  every  other  man,  are 
but  a  creature  in  God's  hands.  The  part  you  have  to  play 
in  this  business  has  been  assigned  you.  You  can  do  no 
other;  and  it  is  all  for  the  best.  God,  unlike  man,  may 
choose  any  means  to  work  His  will.  The  very  Devils 
serve  him.  I  know  that  in  this  hour  of  my  need  I  have  not 
on  this  earth  a  man  upon  whom  I  can  depend.  All  have 
denied  me  and  fled.  I  have  no  friend.  I  am  alone.  There 
is  none  to  speak  for  me.  I  must  die.  And  yet,"  raising 
his  face  towards  the  sky,  while  his  whole  form  dilated  and 
his  eyes  kindled,  "  and  yet  I  say  unto  ye,  the  Great  Day 
of  the  Lord  is  at  hand,  the  time  spoken  of  by  the  holy 
Prophets  when  the  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  when 
the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like  an  ox,  when  the  child  shall  play 
on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  when  men  shall  beat  their  swords 
into  plowshares  and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks,  and 
nations  learn  war  no  more.  And  then  shall  ye  see  me 
coming  in  the  clouds  with  Angels,  sitting  on  the  right 
hand  of  God,  with  power  and  great  glory." 

If  there  had  remained  anything  that  could  add  to 
Pilate's  previous  perplexity  and  amazement,  that  addition 
he  had  now  received.  He  gazed  upon  the  rapt  face  of 
Jesus  with  a  vague  sense  of  awe  and  alarm.  Then  he 
thought  of  what  he  had  heard  among  so  many  other 
things  about  Jesus,  that  by  many  he  was  thought  to  be 
insane.  Yes,  he  was  insane.  That  explained  it  all.  And 
Pilate,  ordering  a  servant  to  bring  him  a  basin  of  water, 
went  out  on  the  balcony. 


LXVIII 
THE  CRUCIFIXION 

"  Scramble  along,  thou  insane  scramble  of  a  world,  with  thy 
pope's  tiaras,  king's  mantles,  and  beggar's  gabardines,  chivalry-rib- 
bons, and  plebeian  gallows-ropes,  where  a  Paul  shall  die  on  the  gibbet 
and  a  Nero  sit  fiddling  as  imperial  Caesar." — Carlyle. 

The  Roman  officer  Vespillo,  put  in  charge  of  the  execu- 
tion of  Jesus,  was  selected  and  specially  charged  by  Varus 
for  the  occasion.  He  was  of  the  same  family  as  Q.  Lu- 
cretius Vespillo.  Being  a  just  and  a  righteous  man, 
as  were  still  many  Romans,  his  sympathies  were  wholly 
with  Jesus,  and  from  the  first  he  made  it  as  easy  for  him 
as  was  possible.  He  relieved  him,  at  the  outset,  of  the 
painful  burden  of  carrying  his  own  cross,  as  was  the  cus- 
tom, and  in  fastening  him  to  the  cross  he  followed  the  more 
merciful  way  of  binding  his  feet  without  driving  nails 
through  them. 

The  soldiers  who  guarded  him  were  the  same  as  those 
who  had  done  the  scourging;  but  the  sincere  friendliness 
of  Jesus,  the  entire  absence  in  him  of  anger,  bitterness,  or 
complaint,  with  his  kindly  words  and  noble  bearing,  had 
entirely  won  over  to  him  the  rough  soldiery.  They,  like 
all  Romans,  hated  the  Jews  as  a  People,  and  Jesus,  as  it 
appeared,  was  hated  of  the  Jews.  For  this,  also,  the  Ro- 
man soldiers  were  drawn  towards  Jesus.  In  these  last 
bitter  hours,  deserted  of  all  the  world,  every  disciple  fled, 
friendless,  alone,  struck,  scourged,  spit  upon,  Jesus  gained 
more  true  and  lasting  friends  and  made  a  deeper  impression 
upon  the  world  than  in  all  his  past. 

Men  who  saw  with  their  own  eyes  this  exhibition  of 
meekness,  fortitude,  and  faithfulness  on  the  one  side,  and 
of  hatred,  cruelty,  and  narrow  selfishness  on  the  other,  were 

546 


I 


THE  CRUCIFIXION  647 

led  to  inquire  of  their  own  hearts  what  no  preaching  would 
ever  suggest.  It  was  the  Kindergarten  of  the  Christian 
Religion,  the  object  lesson  we  all  must  learn  ere  we  come  to 
the  foot  of  the  true  cross. 

The  way  chosen  from  the  palace  of  Pilate  to  Calvary 
was  purposely  long,  so  that  the  exhibition  might  be  wit- 
nessed by  more  people.  And  not  only  was  the  way 
thronged,  but  Calvary  itself,  a  bare  rocky  hill  outside  the 
city  walls,  was  covered  with  a  dense  throng.  Passover 
Pilgrims  from  all  lands  were  there,  and  the  story  of  the 
cross  was  carried  home  to  Babylonia  and  India  and  to 
Gaul  and  Britain.  Scattered  plentifully  among  the  crowd 
were  dark,  scowling,  implacable  Zealots  and  fierce,  venge- 
ful Sicarii,  but,  as  Varus  had  assured  Pilate,  "  Their  teeth 
are  drawn  and  their  talons  pared." 

Jesus  had  denied  them,  and  for  the  present  they  were  in 
confusion,  without  plans.  It  was  the  same  on  all  sides. 
The  expectations  that  had  been  raised  at  the  time  of  Jesus' 
triumphal  entry  into  the  city  and  of  the  cleansing  of  the 
Temple  were  no  longer  entertained.  The  Romans  were 
still  in  power,  and  the  hated  Hierarchy  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  Temple  was  now  before  their  very  eyes  putting  to  death 
this  Jesus,  who  had  professed  to  be  the  Son  of  God  and  who 
said  he  had  angels  at  command.  All  men  who  were  sup- 
posed to  think  and  reason  had  given  up  Jesus.  His  best 
friends,  though  still  drawn  to  him  by  tender  love,  were 
forced  to  admit  that  he  had  failed.  They  still  reverenced 
and  admired  his  exalted  character,  but  they  now  looked 
upon  him  as  one  a  little  off  mentally,  an  extravagant 
Idealist  whose  dreams  were  very  beautiful  and  grand,  but 
impracticable.  They  stood  by  the  way,  and  saw  Jesus 
pass  on  to  death,  with  dry  eyes  and  stony  hearts.  But 
there  were  women,  those  unreasoning  creatures  who  only 
feel  and  act,  who,  even  in  this  hour  of  darkness  when  all 
men  denied  and  forsook,  still  believed  and  loved.  While 
on  that  weary  march  from  Pilate's  palace  to  Calvary  Jesus 


548  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

received  from  no  man  a  word  of  cheer  or  a  look  of  sym- 
pathy or  love,  by  hundreds  of  women  he  was  greeted  with 
blessings  and  with  tears. 

One  tall,  veiled  figure  had  pressed  near  to  Jesus'  side 
when  he  started  out.  The  soldiers  at  first  pushed  her 
rudely  aside,  but  when  they  looked  into  her  wondrous, 
pleading  eyes,  they  silently  gave  place  to  her ;  and  without 
speaking,  she  kept  near  to  Jesus'  side  to  the  end.  In  the 
same  company  with  Jesus,  and  bearing  their  crosses,  were 
our  old  acquaintances  Boaz  and  Ehud, —  Boaz,  with  the 
old,  inexpugnable  superstition  of  a  Galilean  fisherman,  still 
vaguely  looking  to  Jesus  for  some  miraculous  deliverance, 
and  Ehud  fiercely  indignant  and  contemptuous  of  the 
weak  man  who  seemed  to  him  to  have  betrayed  them. 

Even  on  the  cross  Ehud  reviled  Jesus,  while  poor  Boaz 
to  the  last  believed  in  Israel's  New  Kingdom  and  hoped  to 
see  it.  "  Remember  me,"  he  pleaded,  "  when  thou  comest 
into  thy  Kingdom." 

All  fishermen  are  superstitious,  and  so  are  soldiers.  By 
the  time  the  place  of  crucifixion  was  reached  the  soldiers 
had  begun  to  look  upon  the  tall,  veiled  figure  of  the  woman 
with  those  marvelous  eyes  with  a  superstitious  awe.  Jesus, 
they  had  heard,  was  a  great  magician,  and  this  woman 
might  be  a  sorceress.  With  those  inscrutable  eyes  fastened 
upon  them,  they  handled  Jesus  very  tenderly  because,  if 
for  no  other  reason,  that  figure  with  the  eyes  was  watching 
them. 

When  Jesus  was  fastened  to  the  cross,  the  woman  took 
out  of  her  bosom  a  flask  and  ofi^ered  it  to  him  to  drink. 
He  knew  that  it  was  an  opiate,  which  would  dull  the  pain, 
and  he  refused  it  gently. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  I  will  pay  the  whole  price." 

The  woman  did  not  speak,  but  kneeled  down  at  the  foot 
of  the  cross  and  remained  there, —  the  soldiers  not  troub- 
ling her, —  till  the  last.  The  other  Galilean  women, 
who  still  loved  Jesus,  were  in  the  crowd,  but  they  were 


THE  CRUCIFIXION  549 

afraid  and  stood  "  afar  off,"  as  did  also  Peter  and  John. 
When  Jesus  looked  around  there  was  no  old  friend  in  sight 
but  the  silent,  kneeling  figure  at  his  feet.  Then  came  the 
thought  of  his  betrayal  by  one  of  his  own  chosen  twelve, 
of  Peter's  cowardly  and  profane  denial,  and  the  desertion 
of  all.  Even  the  tender-hearted  women,  except  this  out- 
cast, had  fled.  His  own  mother  and  sisters  and  brothers, 
alas !  where  were  they  ? 

And  then  the  surging,  crushing,  blinding  agony  of  the 
torturing  cross  came  upon  him,  and  dimly  through  his 
pain  he  heard  Ehud  at  his  side  cursing  him  for  an  im- 
postor and  a  fool,  and  he  remembered  his  unanswered 
prayer  of  agony  in  the  garden,  that  God  in  mercy  would 
spare  him  this ;  and  again  the  old,  black,  suffocating 
shadow  of  Doubt  came  upon  him. 

Was  there,  then,  no  God.?*  Had  he  no  Father  in 
Heaven?  Was  it  all  a  dream,  his  life  a  mistake  and  a 
failure,  and  no  tongue  or  voice  or  witness  left  to  preserve 
the  Truth?     The  Truth?     Alas !  was  it  all  a  lie ? 

And  forgetting  his  pain,  Jesus  raised  his  eyes  to  Heaven 
and  cried,  "  My  God !  My  God !  Why  hast  thou  for- 
saken me?  " 

Then,  looking  down  upon  the  kneeling  figure  at  his 
feet,  he  met  again  those  sad,  rebuking  eyes.  A  spasm  of 
more  terrible  agony  seized  him ;  but  ineradicably  through 
his  pain  the  gracious  thought  arose,  "  It  is  enough.  In 
her  is  the  divine  spark  that  will  light  the  world, —  the  little 
leaven,  the  grain  of  mustard  seed.  My  Father,  I  thank 
thee  that  it  is  even  so.  What  thou  hast  withheld  from  the 
wise  and  prudent  thou  hast  revealed  unto  babes." 

It  was  the  day  preceding  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  and  the 
priests,  lawyers,  and  doctors,  those  High  Churchmen  who 
liad  procured  Jesus'  death,  were  horrified  at  the  thought 
of  their  victim  hanging  on  the  cross  on  the  Sabbath.  It 
would  desecrate  the  day.  God,  who  had  commanded  them 
to  crucify  Jesus,  would  be  offended  at  the  sight  of  male- 


550  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

factors  writhing  in  agony,  screaming,  and  perhaps  cursing 
and  blaspheming,  on  His  Holy  Day.  So  they  had  ob- 
tained from  Pilate  an  order  that  all  three  on  the  crosses 
should  be  pounded  to  death  with  clubs  before  the  set  of 
sun.  It  was  really  a  mercy  to  do  so,  though  what  the 
Hierarchy  believed  to  be  a  higher  motive  than  mercy, 
namely,  sacerdotalism,  had  induced  them  to  get  it  done. 
They  did  not  think  it  was  sacerdotalism ;  they  believed  it 
was  reverence  for  God. 

The  Centurion  who  had  charge  of  the  execution  was  a 
grizzled  old  soldier,  who  had  camped  amid  the  snows  of 
Gaul,  endured  the  heat  and  thirst  of  Parthian  deserts,  and 
spread  his  blanket  in  the  shadow  of  Luxor  and  the  Pyra- 
mids. He  had  met  most  shapes  of  men  that  Universal 
Empire  could  furnish,  and  his  lessons  had  not  been  in  vain. 
He  knew  men,  and  when  his  eye  first  lighted  upon  Jesus  he 
was  drawn  towards  him  as  by  a  secret  spell.  The  words 
and  manner  of  Jesus  upon  the  cross  had  only  deepened 
the  impression.  When  the  order  came  to  mutilate  the 
victims,  the  Centurion  crushed  the  order  in  his  hand  and 
glanced  fiercely  at  the  messenger,  but  he  held  his  tongue. 
Varus  had  already  charged  him  to  save  Jesus  what  he 
could.     But  what  could  he  do.? 

So  intense  and  all  absorbing  was  the  interest  in  the  ex- 
ecution of  Jesus  that  no  one  had  yet  noticed  much  about 
the  weather  or  any  other  outward  conditions :  but  by  mid- 
afternoon  an  unseasonable  heat  had  become  very  oppressive 
even  to  the  free-moving  throng,  and  to  those  on  the  crosses, 
with  the  fever  of  dissolution  in  their  blood,  it  made  the 
climax  of  agony.  Boaz  and  Ehud  writhed  and  cursed 
with  maniacal  fury,  uttering  incoherent  and  horrible  blas- 
phemies, while  Jesus,  though  able  to  repress  such  outward 
signs,  bore  on  his  brow  the  marks  of  agony.  Once  he 
whispered  feebly,  "  I  thirst,"  and  in  an  instant  a  willing 
soldier  gave  him  of  his  own  soldier's  ration  of  sour  wine  on 
a  sponge. 


THE  CRUCIFIXION  651 

At  length  the  heat,  from  some  strange  cause,  became  al- 
most unbearable.  The  sun  did  not  shine  clear  and  bright, 
but  seemed  obscured  by  vast  clouds  of  red-colored  dust. 
There  Avas  no  slightest  breath  of  wind,  and  the  air  had  a 
stifling  quality  that  made  it  hard  to  breathe.  Weak  per- 
sons in  the  crowd  were  fainting  and  falling.  When  Jesus 
had  said  "  I  thirst,"  the  woman  kneeling  at  his  feet  had 
sprung  up  to  give  him  drink.  Now,  as  she  stood  gazing  as 
if  transfixed  by  the  awful  sight,  Jesus  uttered  a  fearful 
cry,  his  head  sank  upon  his  breast,  a  convulsion  passed 
over  him,  and  then  he  was  still.  Then  the  woman,  with- 
out uttering  a  cry,  sank  down  as  one  dead  at  the  foot  of 
the  cross. 

At  the  same  moment  a  violent  rocking  motion  swept  along 
the  earth  beneath  their  feet ;  the  massive  rock  forming  the 
hill  was  split,  and  the  sides  grated  together.  Great  stones 
were  rolled  away  from  tombs  and  bodies  displaced.  In 
Jerusalem,  at  the  Temple  and  elsewhere,  were  rents  and 
fissures,  A  great  cry  arose  from  the  crowd,  and  men  fell 
upon  their  faces  for  fear.  But  the  quake  passed  without 
serious  harm,  and  men  soon  forget  their  fears. 

And  now  the  time  had  come  when  the  men  on  the  crosses 
must  be  killed.  The  Centurion  gave  the  order,  and  Boaz 
and  Ehud,  breathing  out  curses  and  maledictions,  were 
beaten  to  death  with  clubs.  Coming  last  to  Jesus,  who 
seemed  to  be  dead  alread}',  the  soldiers  asked  if  they  should 
strike,  but  the  Centurion  shook  his  head  and  Jesus  was 
spared.  A  little  later  and  our  old  acquaintance,  Joseph 
of  Arimathca,  with  Nicodemus  and  a  company  of  servants, 
an  undertaker,  and  an  embalmer  appeared,  with  a  written 
order  from  Pilate  for  the  body  of  Jesus. 

While  these  were  carefully  and  tenderly  taking  Jesus 
down  from  the  cross,  the  soldier  who  had  given  drink  to 
Jesus  raised  up  the  woman  who  had  fallen  at  its  foot. 
After  she  had  swallowed  some  of  the  sour  wine,  such  as 
had  been  given  to  Jesus,  she  got  up  and  followed  Joseph 
and  those  who  bore  away  the  body  of  Jesus. 


LXIX 
FATALITIES 

"  And  that  should  teach  us 
There's  a  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough-hew  them  how  we  will." —  Hamlet. 

When  Judas,  with  the  Guard,  dehvered  Jesus  to  Caia- 
phas,  an  agent  of  the  High  Priest  called  to  Judas  as  he 
was  going  away,  and  without  giving  him  time  to  consider 
slipped  into  his  hand  a  purse  containing  a  small  quantity 
of  silver  coins,  and  with  the  significant  remark,  "  There  is 
more  to  follow,"  disappeared. 

Judas  was  thunderstruck.  What  did  this  mean! 
What  did  they  take  him  to  be !  A  common  informer,  a 
bribe  taker,  the  most  despicable  of  wretches.?  He  would 
throw  the  money  in  their  teeth.  Then  out  of  curiosity  he 
thought  he  would  see  how  much  they  had  thought  his  serv- 
ices worth.  He  took  the  purse  where  he  could  see  and 
counted  out  the  money  carefully. —  Thirty  sixpences :  a 
mere  beggar's  fee !  Nom  he  felt  not  only  enraged,  but 
what  was  worse,  humiliated.  And  "  more  to  follow " : 
what  did  that  mean.''  Judas  began  to  have  an  uneasy 
feeling  that  he  had  been  trapped.  What  were  they  going 
to  do  with  Jesus,  anyway.'' 

Judas  was  essentially  a  "  business  man,"  —  indeed,  the 
only  "  business  man  "  in  the  whole  company  of  Jesus ;  and 
for  that  he  had  been  made  their  Business  Agent.  A 
Judean  who  had  been  much  at  Jerusalem,  he  understood 
the  law  as  it  was  then  interpreted  and  knew  that  for  many 
years  no  religious  offense  had  been  punished  capitally, 
but  only  by  "  Putting  out  of  the  Synagogue,"  which  is 
to  say,  excommunication.  Even  the  good  old  orthodox 
punishment  of  stoning  had  gone  out  of  date  and  had  not 
been  inflicted  for  a  generation. 

552 


FATALITIES  653 

Judas  had  not  the  remotest  thought  that  Jesus  would 
be  crucified.  The  plot  to  bring  this  about  was  known 
only  to  Mary  and  to  Jesus.  Judas  was  aware  of  the  many 
and  great  protections  which  were  thrown  about  a  culprit 
by  established  Jewish  Law:  how,  first,  there  must  be  a 
written  indictment ;  how  witnesses  were  charged  by  the  pre- 
siding Judge  to  weigh  well  what  they  said,  and  to  remem- 
ber the  value  of  human  life ;  how  a  lawyer  was  appointed 
by  the  Court  to  defend  the  accused  when  he  was  unable 
himself  to  hire  one ;  how  no  trial  could  be  carried  through 
in  the  night;  and  how  judges  could  not  condemn  till  after 
one  whole  day  of  fasting  and  prayer. 

Judas  knew  all  this  when  betraying  Jesus,  and  had  pro- 
ceeded, as  we  all  do,  from  mixed  motives.  He  was  an 
inveterate  Jew,  and  representations  had  been  made  to  him 
that  appealed  powerfully  to  his  ingrained  reverence  for 
constituted  authority.  Then  he,  like  all  others,  without 
one  exception,  had  been  disappointed  in  Jesus,  who  had 
not  come  out  boldly  but  had  appeared  weak,  and  cowardly, 
vacillating.  By  being  brought  to  trial,  he  might  be 
forced  to  declare  himself  and  make  a  stand.  If  he  was 
declared  a  heretic  and  put  out  of  the  Synagogue,  he  would, 
so  Judas  believed,  be  obliged  to  set  up  the  standard  of 
revolt.  Then  there  was  his  quarrel  with  John,  and  all  the 
humiliations  of  that  supper  at  Bethany.  Judas,  like  all  of 
his  class,  when  inflamed  with  passion,  was  extremely  incon- 
siderate and  unreasonable. 

The  Syrian  peasant  of  our  own  times  will  to-day  freely 
offer  his  life  for  his  Sheik,  and  to-morrow  lie  in  wait  to 
kill  him.  Racial  character  has  not  changed.  When 
Judas  began  to  suspect  the  real  intent  of  the  Hierarchy 
about  Jesus,  he  was  struck  through  as  by  a  dart.  He  fol- 
lowed the  proceedings  before  Caiaphas  and  Pilate  and 
Herod  with  feelings  and  emotions  that  we  may  judge  of 
only  by  their  result.  The  noble,  loving  character  of 
Jesus  had  made  as  deep  an  impression  on  Judas  as  upon 


554  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

other  disciples.  He  remembered  now  with  a  bursting 
heart  and  wild  throes  of  pain  all  the  innumerable  words 
and  acts  of  gentle  love ;  and  when  at  last  he  saw  Jesus  led 
forth  for  execution,  he  hastened  away  to  the  Temple,  and 
with  bitter  words  of  reproach  cast  the  money  at  the  feet 
of  the  Priests  and  went  and  hanged  himself. 


Of  Jacobus  and  his  band  it  can  only  be  said  that  to 
the  last  they  still  hoped  and  half  beheved.  They,  like 
Peter  and  John,  were  present  with  the  crowd  on  Calvary. 
A  dim  hope  yet  lingered  that  by  some  stupendous  miracle, 
as  by  angels  from  Heaven,  Jesus  would  yet  discomfit  all 
enemies  and  prove  his  Messiahship.  But  when,  as  it 
seemed,  Jesus  was  actually  dead,  they  grimly  turned  their 
faces  again  towards  the  wilderness,  unconquerable,  indom- 
itable, at  length  to  die  to  the  very  last  man  of  that  noble 
race,  battling  for  "  God  and  Liberty." 

Other  friends  of  Jesus,  meanwhile,  were  actively  at  work. 
While  Jesus  was  before  Herod,  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  with 
Nicodemus  and  Rachel,  had  made  bold  to  gain  entrance  into 
Pilate's  palace.  Varus  was  already  there,  and  Procula's 
friendship  was  assured.  Pilate's  decision  had  not  yet 
been  made,  and  it  was  hoped  that  he  might  be  influenced  to 
save  Jesus.  Varus  had  steadily  befriended  Jesus  from  the 
time  when  his  name  was  first  heard  in  Jerusalem ;  and  it 
was  through  him,  more  than  by  all  other  means,  that  Pro- 
cula  had  been  interested  in  him.  Then  Varus'  love  for 
Rachel,  and  Rachel's  requirement  that  Varus  should  for- 
sake heathenism,  had  interested  her.  Procula  had  a 
woman's  tender  sympathy  for  all  lovers,  and  Pilate  him- 
self was  not  insensible  to  the  gentle  flame.  The  rare 
simplicity  and  modesty  of  the  beautiful  Rachel  appealed 
to  him. 

Though  careful  not  to   commit  himself,  through  Pro- 


FATALITIES  655 

cula  they  knew  that  Pilate  was  disposed  to  be  friendly. 
If  Varus  could  not  become  openly  a  Jew,  he  could  do  all 
in  his  power  to  protect  Jesus ;  and  that,  in  the  end,  might 
suffice.  He  was  still  received  witli  friendliness  at  the  house 
of  Nicodemus,  and  Rachel  had  smiled  upon  him  when  he 
told  of  his  efforts  to  befriend  Jesus.  He  had  brought 
Procula  and  Rachel  together,  and  they  had  become  firm 
friends. 

When  Pilate  came  in  from  the  Praetorium,  where  other 
matters  besides  that  of  Jesus  had  detained  him,  he  was 
in  wrathful  mood,  and  the  presence  of  Joseph  and  Nico- 
demus, whose  object  he  at  once  suspected,  still  further  ex- 
asperated him.  He  at  first  treated  them  with  scant 
courtesy,  and  except  for  the  presence  of  the  women  and 
Varus,  they  would  hardly  have  gained  audience.  Pilate 
reminded  them  bluntly  that  the  place  to  transact  business 
was  in  the  Praetorium  and  not  in  the  Cabinet ;  but  the 
Rabbis  were  suave  and  politic,  and  Procula  looked  so  sor- 
rowful and  downcast  and  Raclicl  so  sad  and  beseeching, 
that  Pilate's  tone  became  less  harsh,  and  at  length  he 
manifested  a  willingness  to  enter  upon  a  discussion  of  the 
subject  of  Jesus'  death. 

When  allowed  to  speak,  Joseph,  who  had  been  trained 
as  a  lawyer,  went  over  the  grounds  briefly  but  most  con- 
vincingly, showing  that  Rome  had  rather  a  friend  in  Jesus 
than  otherwise,  because  he  deterred  the  Zealots  from  an 
uprising  and  was  vmalterably  opposed  to  violence.  The 
worst  that  could  be  said  against  Jesus,  he  averred,  was 
that  he  was  a  dreamer,  a  religious  enthusiast,  whom  much 
study  had  a  little  unsettled  in  mind.  Pilate  was  interested, 
and  answered  that  this  last  was  his  own  belief  about  Jesus : 
he  had  concluded  from  his  examination  of  him  that  he  was 
really  insane. 

"  But  except  you  and  Nicodemus,"  Pilate  went  on,  "  the 
best  part  of  your  whole  nation  seems  determined  that 
Jesus  shall  die,  and  to  keep  the  peace  I  am  afraid  I  shall 


656  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

be  obliged  to  let  them  have  their  way.  If  Herod  sends 
Jesus  back  to  me  uncondemned, —  which  I  fear  he  will, — 
I  don't  see  how  I  can  rightly  protect  him." 

Joseph  answered  that  though  it  did  appear  that  all  the 
Jewish  Nation  desired  the  death  of  Jesus,  it  was  very  far 
from  being  so. 

"  This  cabal  of  Annas,"  he  said,  "  has  such  control 
here  in  Jerusalem  that  none  of  those  opposed  dare  speak 
their  minds ;  but  I  have  good  reason  to  think  that  if  all 
would  speak  as  they  really  feel,  there  would  be  very  few 
outside  of  the  Official  Class  who  would  condemn  Jesus." 

Varus  supported  this  position  with  force  and  instances ; 
but  Pilate  would  not  be  moved.  "  Your  High  Priest," 
he  said,  "  is  the  responsible  head  of  your  Nation,  and  him, 
if  anybody,  I  must  recognize." 

The  sound  of  tlie  multitude  returning  from  Herod  now 
began  to  be  heard,  and  Pilate  left  his  visitors  without  cere- 
mony, to  go  out  again  on  the  balcony.  Soon  the  old  cry 
of  "  Crucify  him !  Crucify  him !  "  swelling  into  a  roar 
announced  to  the  anxious  group  in  Pilate's  Cabinet  that 
their  hope  was  over. 

After  listening  in  silence  for  some  time.  Varus  spoke 
hesitatingly :  "  I  have  known  of  persons  crucified  who 
were  revived  and  saved  after  they  had  hung  on  the  cross 
for  two  days  and  were  supposed  to  be  dead." 

Joseph  and  Nicodemus  exchanged  glances,  but  their 
gloomy  faces  did  not  light  up,  and  Joseph  shook  his  head. 
No  more  was  said,  and  each,  busy  with  his  own  thoughts, 
sat  listening  to  the  ominous  sounds  outside.  After  a  time 
the  outcries  ceased,  and  Pilate,  with  a  grim,  setj  face, 
came  in  from  the  balcony.  No  one  dared  ask  him  what 
had  been  done,  and  at  length  Pilate  himself  spoke. 

"  I  had  to  do  it,"  he  said,  "  but  I  washed  my  hands  of 
the  whole  thing,  and  let  the  curse  of  it  light  on  your 
abominable  Jewish  Nation.     I  cannot  see  that  this  Jesus 


FATALITIES  557 

has  a  friend  in  the  world  except  you  here ;  they  say  his  own 
family  deride  him." 

Still  no  one  spoke,  and  Pilate  went  on :  "  And  to 
crown  it  all,  they  ask  that  he  and  all  the  crucified  be  killed 
outright  before  sunset.  It  appears  that  they  have  some 
superstition  about  persons  being  exposed  that  way  on 
Saturday." 

"  And  did  you  give  the  order?  "  asked  Varus. 

"  Certainly,"  answered  Pilate.  "  It  is  a  mercy,  really,  to 
end  their  torments." 

Again  there  was  a  gloomy  silence.  Procula  and  Rachel, 
as  became  women  of  their  time,  sat  apart,  not  daring  to 
speak.  Then  Rachel,  sitting  near  to  Procula  on  a  divan, 
put  her  arms  about  Procula's  neck  and  whispered  some- 
thing in  her  ear.  Procula's  face  brightened,  and  they 
looked  in  each  other's  eyes  with  a  new  expression  of  hope. 
There  was  more  whispering,  and  a  smile  almost  came  to 
Rachel's  hps. 

Then  Procula  Avith  some  embarrassment,  breaking  the 
silence,  said,  "  If  I  might  speak,  would  it  not  be  proper 
and  lawful  for  Joseph  and  Nicodemus,  as  the  only  friends 
of  Jesus,  to  have  possession  of  his  body  when  he  is  dead  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  they  can  have  it  if  they  want  it,"  answered 
Pilate.  "  I  don't  know  what  you  Jews  do  with  the  bodies 
of  criminals,  but  by  our  Roman  rule  they  should  hang  on 
the  cross  till  the  birds  pick  their  bones." 

At  this,  Pilate  was  called  away  to  the  Pra?torium,  and 
the  five  friends  of  Jesus  looked  in  one  another's  eyes  and 
breathed  more  freely.  And  now  Procula  made  known  the 
subject  of  Rachel's  whispering.  They  were  to  have  Jesus' 
body,  and  if  mutilation  could  by  some  means  be  prevented, 
might  not  Jesus  be  saved,  even  yet,  as  Varus  had  sug- 
gested? Joseph  and  Nicodemus  shook  their  heads  gloom- 
ily, and  called  attention  to  the  order  of  Pilate  that  Jesus 
should  be  killed  with  clubs. 


558  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

"  But  I  can  prevent  that !  "  exclaimed  Varus. 

"  Well,  but  Pilate  does  not  give  us  Jesus'  body  till  he 
is  dead,"  objected  Joseph.  "  Yet  it  seems  the  only  thing 
we  can  do,"  answered  Varus,  "  and  something  may  come 
of  it." 

And  so  it  was  left;  and  Varus  hastened  away  to  pro- 
cure an  order  excepting  Jesus  from  the  crurifragium. 


LXX 

ECHOES 

"O   Sancta  Simplicitas."     (Ah,   Divine   Simplicity.) — John    Huss, 
at  the  stake. 

"  And  the  next  day  was  the  Sabbath."  Among  the  mil- 
lions of  Pilgrims  in  and  about  Jerusalem  who  had  piously 
come  there  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to  celebrate  with 
joy  and  feasting  the  day  of  their  deliverance,  the  cru- 
cifixion of  Jesus  had  spread  a  feeling  of  sadness  and 
gloom.  Again  the  long-looked-for  Messiah  had  proven  a 
failure  and  a  dream.  The  faith  of  man^^  in  the  sacred 
oracles,  in  the  coming  of  a  Messiah,  or  in  God  at  all,  was 
sorely  shaken.  Thousands  inwardly  resolved  that  Jeru- 
salem should  see  them  no  more.  They  would  go  back  to 
their  homes,  hopeless  of  any  deliverance,  of  any  glorious 
future,  but  with  the  old  Jewish  obstinacy  and  exclusiveness 
unsubdued. 

At  this  Sabbath  morning  service,  the  four  hundred  and 
sixty  Synagogues  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Temple,  were 
crowded  with  worshipers ;  and  there,  and  among  the  camps 
outside  the  city,  priests  and  Levites,  in  orders,  were  har- 
anguing the  multitudes  according  to  the  planned  instruc- 
tions of  Caiaphas.  Their  discourses  were  founded  upon 
the  well-known  story  of  Korah  and  Dathan  and  Abiram, 
and  supported  by  plentiful  quotations  from  the  Psalms  and 
Proverbs.  They  sought  to  impress  the  people  with  the 
renewed  example  of  God's  wrath  against  those  who  rebelled 
against  Constituted  Authority,  against  the  Powers  That 
Be. 

At  the  Temple,  the  High  Priest  himself  appeared  in  his 
gorgeous  robes,  with  a  hundred  priests  about  him.  Five 
hundred   Levites    chanted   a    triumphal    hymn,    while   the 

659 


560  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

great  organ  groaned  and  boomed,  and  the  fire  on  the  Great 
Altar  rose  heavenwards,  hcking  the  blood  of  sacrifice. 
A  thousand  shekels'  value  of  precious  Arabian  gum  was 
burned  on  the  Altar  of  Incense,  the  odor  of  which  filled 
the  whole  mount  and  went  abroad  on  the  winds. 

It  was  sought  to  make  it  a  day  of  rejoicing,  of  feasting 
and  gladness.  The  people,  from  old  habit,  looked  and 
listened  and  worshiped;  but  they  were  sad.  Of  the  dis- 
ciples only  Peter  and  John  remained  in  Jerusalem ;  the  rest 
had  not  stopped  in  their  wild  fear  and  flight  till  they  were 
again  in  Galilee.  The  women  had  remained,  and  with 
them  were  Mary  and  Doris  of  Nazareth.  They  had  come 
piously  with  their  little  gift  to  worship  at  the  Temple,  and 
remained  now,  sorrowing.  They  had  always  feared  that 
it  would  all  end  in  misery. 

They,  with  the  other  women,  and  Peter  and  John, 
listened  reverently  and  tearfully,  while  the  white-robed 
priest  in  the  little  Galilean  Synagogue  in  the  suburbs  dis- 
coursed solemnly  on  the  sin  and  the  fate  of  "  Heretics." 
"  Alas  and  alas,  and  so  it  is  God's  will." 

Mary  of  Magdala  was  there,  too,  with  her  blind  old 
father,  but  not  with  the  others.  She  sat  apart  and  alone 
with  her  sorrows.  She  had  come  to  the  Synagogue  from 
the  force  of  habit  and  association,  but  she  did  not  listen 
to  the  preacher:  she  was  hearing  again  those  thrilling 
tones,  those  words  of  love :  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take 
my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and 
lowly  in  heart;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls." 


LXXI 

THE  RESURRECTION 

"  For  as  yet  they  knew  not  the  Scripture,  that  he  must  rise  again 
from  the  dead." —  John  xx-9. 

"  Thus  all  evidences  go  to  prove  that  the  belief  in  the  Messiah 
would  have  died  out  without  the  living  Jesus." —  Keim. 

And  then  another  morning  dawned, —  tlie  first  day  of 
the  week.  By  its  first  dim  light  the  veiled  woman  we  have 
seen  so  oft  before  miglit  have  been  seen  passing  out  at 
the  Damascus  Gate.  Few  were  passing  out  at  this  early 
hour,  but  many  were  coming  in  —  hucksters  of  all  kinds, 
peddlers,  gardeners  with  their  vegetables  loaded  on  asses 
or  carried  wearily  in  baskets,  rough  peasants  with  cages 
of  doves,  poultry,  and  singing  birds,  and  some  with  huge 
wine  skins  lashed  to  their  backs,  filled  wuth  wine. 

All  are  hurrying  on,  thinking  of  nothing  but  to  sell 
their  wares  and  get  back  to  renewed  toil  at  the  hut  on  the 
hill  or  on  the  mountain  side.  They  are  the  despised 
Amhaartz,  whose  toil  supports  the  splendors  of  all  the  pal- 
aces and  the  Temple,  but  who  have  no  leisure  to  so  much 
as  look  upon  their  glories.  They  take  no  notice  of  the 
woman ;  they  have  ceased  even  to  speak  or  to  think  of  the 
crucifixions  that  took  place  on  the  very  road  they  have 
come,  only  two  days  agone.  The  victims  were  all  "  male- 
factors "  to  them  now,  and  the  spectacle,  like  other 
"  shows,"  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 

The  woman  hurries  on,  avoiding  the  bare  hill,  Golgotha, 
where  the  three  blood-stained  crosses  still  stand  as  warn- 
ings to  the  wicked.  She  turns  off  to  the  riglit  of  the 
highway,  and  by  a  private  road  at  the  base  of  the  hill 
enters  the  grounds  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  It  is  really  a 
garden,  beautifully  kept  and  filled  with  rare  plants  and 
flowers.     It  is  enclosed  by  a  wall  of  solid  masonry ;  but  the 

561 


56^  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

gates  are  open.  Joseph  is  sufficiently  a  Democrat  to  make 
common  ground  of  his  parks  and  gardens.  Taking  a  side 
path  to  the  left,  the  woman  keeps  along  the  western  wall 
of  the  garden,  which  soon  terminates  at  a  perpendicular 
cliff  of  rock  —  the  eastern  base  of  Calvary,  or  Golgotha. 

Here  Joseph  has  had  excavated  for  himself  a  tomb ;  and 
here  he  and  Nicodemus  had  laid  the  body  of  Jesus  when 
they  took  it  from  the  cross  two  days  before.  The  woman 
knows  well  the  way,  for  she  and  Mary  of  Clopas,  Jesus' 
aunt,  were  here  among  the  shrubbery,  unseen  but  observ- 
ant, when  Jesus  was  laid  there.  She  remembers  every 
detail  with  the  vividness  of  an  all  absorbing  love, —  how 
carelessly  and  hastily  the  embalmers  had  seemed  to  wrap 
the  body,  and  how  the  great  stone  that  closed  the  opening 
of  the  sepulchre  was,  with  levers  and  bars  and  much  labor 
of  several  men,  moved  into  place.  And  now,  as  she  drew 
near  in  the  dawning  light,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  spot, 
what  was  it  that  made  her  heart  stop  beating,  and  a  vague 
sense  of  fear  and  awe  steal  over  her  like  a  flood? 

Was  not  the  door  of  the  tomb  open,  and  the  great  stone 
moved  away  ?  The  woman  paused,  and  gazed  like  one  in  a 
dream.  The  tomb  fronted  the  east,  and  the  light  from  the 
cloudless  dawn  shone  full  upon  it.  There  could  be  no 
mistake.  The  door  was  open.  Going  on  now  hastily,  the 
woman  looked  into  the  tomb.  In  the  dim  light  she  could 
see  a  confusion  of  white  cloths  and  napkins,  but  no  body. 
Finally,  with  a  shudder,  she  reached  her  hand  into  the 
receptacle,  but  there  was  nothing  there.  Then  the 
woman  turned  and  fled. 

Before  reaching  the  city  gate  she  met  Peter  and  John. 
Mary  of  Clopas  had  told  them  where  Jesus  was  laid,  and 
they  were  going  there  to  pay  in  secret  their  last  respects 
to  their  murdered  friend.  When  the  woman  told  them  that 
the  tomb  was  empty,  they  started  to  run,  while  the  woman, 
already  spent  with  running,  came  on  more  slowly.  When 
she  reached  the  tomb,  Peter  and  John  had  already  satis- 


THE  RESURRECTION  563 

fied  themselves  that  the  tomb  was  empty,  and  they  told  the 
woman  that  it  was  doubtless  an  added  outrage  of  the  ene- 
mies of  Jesus  which  they  were  powerless  to  avenge. 

The  woman  could  only  weep ;  she  offered  no  suggestion. 
Peter  and  John  were  also  very  sorrowful  in  themselves,  and 
the  woman's  tears  added  to  their  sadness. 

"  Would  God  I  could  have  died  for  him ;  and  I  was  not 
worthy  even  to  suffer  rcith  him.  I  am  a  wretch,  unfit  to 
live  and  afraid  to  die.  I  was  such  a  cowardly  brute  that 
I  denied  even  that  I  knew  him." 

And  the  sturdy  fisherman  Peter  sat  down  on  a  stone  seat 
by  the  roadway,  and  burying  his  face  in  his  hands,  sobbed 
like  a  child.  John,  too,  was  weeping,  and  for  a  time  the 
three  friends  mingled  their  tears  in  silence.  At  last  John 
spoke.  "  Yes,"  John  said,  at  last,  "  we  have  all  proved 
ourselves  unworthy  of  such  a  friend.  Judas  a  traitor, 
and  all  the  rest  fled  on  the  first  alarm ;  and  I  have  nothing 
to  boast  of  above  the  others.  I  didn't  come  out  like  a 
man,  but  skulked  under  cover.  Comfort  yourself,  my 
brother,  you  are  no  worse  than  the  rest  of  us.  We  all, 
by  our  actions  if  not  by  our  words,  have  denied  our  Lord." 

Peter  was  a  little  comforted  by  these  generous  words 
of  John,  and  dried  his  tears.  "  It  is  all  a  terrible  busi- 
ness," Peter  said,  remorsefully,  "  a  failure  on  every  hand. 
All  hopes  of  the  New  Kingdom  gone,  forever !  And  then 
to  think  of  how  it  will  be  when  we  get  home  to  Galilee. 
What  will  our  fathers  say,  and  my  poor  wife  and  children.'' 
God  help  them,  for  I  don't  even  know  where  they  are ;  and 
our  business,  so  long  neglected,  is  all  ruined.  Our 
fathers  are  old  men,  and  Hippo  by  this  time  has  gob- 
bled everything."     And  Peter's  tears  flowed  afresh. 

"  But  plainly,  it  is  no  use  for  us  to  remain  here,"  he 
went  on.  "  We  shall  be  arrested  next ;  and  what  can  we 
do?  There  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  go  back  to  the  only 
thing  we  know  how  to  do,  and  I  am  going  back  to  fishing." 

John  signified  his  readiness  to  go  too,  and  then  he  told 


564  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

the  woman  to  tell  his  mother  and  Aunt  Mary  and  Joanna 
and  the  rest  of  the  Galilean  women  that  they  had  gone  on 
to  Galilee,  and  that  they  had  better  come  at  once  and  not 
wait  for  the  ending  of  the  Feast. 

"  Jerusalem  is  no  safe  place  for  any  of  us  Galileans 
now,"  added  Peter,  as  they  turned  away. 

When  Peter  and  John  were  gone,  the  woman  still 
lingered,  and  finally  went  again  to  the  tomb.  She  would 
at  least  carry  away  a  napkin,  a  towel,  or  some  small 
memento  of  the  loved  one.  She  had  often  heard  Jesus 
speak  of  angels  and  their  ministry  to  him:  might  not  the 
angels  have  taken  him  away.-^  There  was  a  moment  when 
she  imagined  that  the  white  cloths  and  wrappings  left  in 
the  tomb  were  angels ;  it  made  her  heart  leap,  and  from 
her  beating  pulse  and  throbbing  brain  came  only  the  sad 
refrain,  "  He  is  not  here !  He  is  not  here !  He  is  not 
here !  " 

While  she  sat  weeping  she  heard  a  step  on  the  gravel 
walk,  and  turning  slightly  sidewise,  she  saw  through  her 
tears  a  tall  man  standing  near,  who  said  to  her,  "  W^oman, 
why  weepest  thou.''     Whom  seekest  thou?  " 

She,  supposing  it  to  be  the  gardener,  saith  unto  him, 
"  Sir,  if  thou  hast  borne  him  hence,  tell  me  where  thou 
hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him  away." 

A  moment's  silence,  and  then  the  man,  speaking  low, 
uttered  the  one  word,  *'  Mary ! " 

Mary  of  Magdala  was  thrilled.  That  word  and  that 
tone  she  had  not  heard  since  the  old  innocent  days  of 
Galilee,  Capernaum,  and  Simon's  garden.  Rising  and 
casting  herself  at  Jesus'  feet,  she  murmured  forth  her 
woman's  inarticulate,  passionate  words,  "  O  my  Master  and 
my  Lord." 

At  the  moment  the  cloudless  sun,  peeping  above  the 
crest  of  Olivet,  sends  a  shaft  of  gold  to  gild  and  glorify 
the  scene.  The  odor  of  opening  flowers  is  redolent  in  the 
air.     A  thousand  larks,  just  springing  from  their  leafy 


THE  RESURRECTION  565 

beds,  are  soaring  heavenwards,  pouring  forth  in  ecstasy 
their  wondrous  song;  while  from  the  top  of  Calvary, 
where  the  crosses  stand,  a  half  naked  peasant  lad,  seeking 
his  father's  goats,  is  joyously  singing  a  Psalm  of  Asaph. 
But  Mary  does  not  hear ;  she  does  not  see ;  her  outward 
sense  is  blind  and  deaf.  But  her  rapt  soul  is  hymning  its 
immortal  song,  its  triumphal  Te  Deum,  the  first  glad 
greeting  to  the  Risen  Christ. 


LXXII 
OBDURATE 

"When  they,  therefore,  were  come  together,  they  asked  of  him, 
saying,  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  Kingdom  to 
Israel?"— Acts  i-6. 


Our  story  approaches  its  end.  Of  the  many  men  and 
women  spoken  of  in  these  pages  we  can  give  of  almost  none 
a  final  account.  Indeed  no  final  account  can  be  made  till 
the  Last  and  Great  Accounting. 

These  figures,  Characters  we  may  call  them,  came  or 
were  pushed  out  upon  this  garish  World  Stage  from  the 
black  bosom  of  Night,  and  for  better  or  worse, —  with 
more  or  less  of  self -consciousness, —  have  performed  their 
part.  They  have  gone  back  whence  they  came.  Night 
has  swallowed  them  up  and  reclaimed  its  own.  They  are 
gone:  their  work  remains.  No  power  short  of  Om- 
nipotence can  take  that  away.  And  so  it  is  with  the  least 
as  with  the  greatest.  The  honest  hammer-stroke  by 
sooty  forge  sounds  in  Eternity  as  surely,  perhaps  as 
loudly,  as  the  thunderings  of  Waterloo.  We  poor,  dim- 
eyed  historians  can  tell  only  of  the  little  we  see  and  know, 
—  and  that  is  little  indeed.  We  note  the  slow-moving 
hands  on  the  face  of  the  dial,  but  we  see  and  know  nothing 
of  the  mechanism  within. 

To  this  history  we  have  little  more  to  add.  In  Jeru- 
salem, a  few  weeks  after  the  events  last  recorded,  there  was 
a  wedding  at  the  house  of  Nicodemus.  Varus  at  last 
obtained  his  Rachel.  Just  how  it  came  about  has  never 
been  known,  for  Varus  became  neither  Jew  nor  Nazarene. 
Neither  did  Rachel,  nor  Nicodemus,  nor  Joseph  join  the 
new  sect  that  was  beginning  to  stir  up  Jerusalem.  They, 
with  Gamaliel  and  their  friend  and  relative,  Zaccheus  of 

566 


OBDURATE  567 

Jericho,  were  very  liberal  towards  the  so-called  Nazarenes, 
and  did  what  they  could  to  protect  and  defend  them  against 
persecution ;  but  the}'  held  tacitly  aloof,  and  kept  to  their 
old  ways. 

Neither  was  Mary  of  Magdala  known  any  more  in 
Jerusalem.  Leading  her  blind  old  father  by  the  hand, 
she  went  back  to  iNIagdala,  and  made  a  home  for  him  there 
in  the  cottage  where  he  was  born.  The  old  man,  however, 
lived  but  a  few  days  to  enjoy  his  bettered  lot;  and  Mary 
henceforth,  friendless  and  alone,  disappears  from  history, 
her  work  only  remaining. 

Salome,  the  mother  of  James  and  John,  with  Mary  of 
Clopas,  Joanna,  and  the  rest  of  the  women  who  followed 
Jesus,  went  back  to  their  families,  and  history  knows  them 
no  more. 

iNIary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  James  the  Essene  and 
Jude  the  Zealot,  his  brothers,  were  drawn  to  Jerusalem  in 
the  excitement  that  prevailed  concerning  the  reappearance 
of  Jesus ;  and  being  greatly  honored  by  the  new  sect,  as 
tlie  near  relations  of  Jesus,  they  became  its  tardy  but  most 
zealous  supporters.     The  gentle  Doris  was  dead. 

With  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  and  the  flight  of  the  dis- 
ciples, it  was  believed  by  Annas  and  his  cabal  that  the 
heresy  of  the  "  vile  Nazarene  "  was  effectually  rooted  out 
and  exterminated ;  but  there  remained  through  all,  among 
the  poor  of  Jerusalem,  especially  the  women,  an  ineradi- 
cable clinging  to  Jesus  and  his  teachings.  Their  faith  as 
yet  had  taken  no  form,  and  had  no  definite  expression : 
they  simply  believed. 

Among  these,  within  the  first  week  after  Jesus'  death, 
there  was  circulated  the  story  that  Jesus  had  arisen.  At 
first  it  was  said  that  ]\Iary  of  Magdala  only  had  seen  him ; 
then  Mary  of  Clopas  was  joined  with  INIary  of  Magdala, 
and  both  had  beheld  him.  Soon  it  was  also  Peter  and 
John  who  had  seen  him,  and  aftenvards,  many  others. 

This  story,  confined  at  first  to  those  who  had  been  fol- 


568  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

lowers  and  believers,  soon  spread  over  all  Jerusalem,  and 
created  great  excitement.  Thousands  visited  the  empty 
tomb,  and  inquiries  were  made  of  the  gardener  where  the 
tomb  was,  and  of  Josph  and  Nicodemus ;  but  nothing  was 
learned  to  clear  up  the  mystery. 

Annas  and  Caiaphas  had  it  given  out  that  Jesus'  dis- 
ciples had  stolen  the  body  and  carried  it  away  to  Galilee. 
Still  the  rumor  grew  and  spread  that  Jesus  had  been  seen 
alive  by  many  persons.  The  women,  Salome  and  the 
others,  lingering  long  at  the  feast,  finally  carried  the  story 
home  to  Galilee.  Among  the  eleven  disciples  it  created  a 
profound  impression.  Peter  and  John  confirmed  the  story 
of  the  empty  tomb,  and  the  women's  stories,  though  con- 
tradictory and  improbable,  were  talked  of  and  dwelt  upon 
till  the  most  unbelieving  were  more  than  half  convinced. 

Losses  and  derangements  in  their  business  during  their 
absence  had  necessitated  new  combinations,  and  seven  of 
the  remaining  disciples  had  joined  in  a  copartnership, 
leaving  the  old  men,  Zebedee  and  Jonas,  to  mend  nets  and 
do  odd  jobs  at  home,  while  they  took  again  to  the  lake 
and  their  old  employment.  Their  means  having  been  ex- 
hausted and  the  rich  women  no  longer  contributing,  the  dis- 
ciples had  been  obliged  to  begin  business  with  old,  worn 
nets  and  leaky  boats ;  and  thus  far  they  had  met  with  very 
poor  success.  They  were  sick  and  discouraged,  the  fall 
having  been  so  sudden  and  so  great.  Only  a  short  time 
before,  they  were  confidently  looking  for  the  day  when 
they  should  sit  upon  thrones,  judging  the  world;  and  now, 
forced  to  go  back  to  their  hard  trade  of  fishing,  they  were 
finding  even  that  to  yield  a  very  precarious  livelihood. 
Then  their  homes  and  friends  were  no  longer  what  they 
had  once  been. 

The  old  men,  Zebedee  and  Jonas,  could  not  forget 
former  prosperity,  and  must  persist,  with  an  old  man's 
privilege,  in  drawing  comparisons  that  were  very  exas- 
perating.    They  were  continually  recurring  to  what  might 


OBDURATE  569 

have  been.  Then  those  disciples  who  had  wives  were  made 
to  feel  the  smart  of  an  overworked  woman's  tongue.  Why 
had  they  been  such  fools.?  Even  on  the  streets  of  Caper- 
naum they  were  pointed  at  and  often  reviled  as  those  hare- 
brained dupes  of  the  "  mad  Prophet  of  Nazareth." 

And  still  the  old  dreams,  "  that  were  not  all  a  dream," 
came  back  to  haunt  them  at  their  daily  toil.  The  lake 
shore  abounded  in  delightful  reminiscences  of  the  beloved 
Master.  Here,  under  this  spx'cuding  tree  by  this  rock,  in 
this  flowery  glen,  at  noon-tide  rest  or  before  the  fire  at 
midnight  hour,  he  had  talked  to  them  of  the  brotherly 
love,  the  peace,  and  plenty,  and  happiness  of  the  New 
Kingdom  of  God.  How  their  hearts  had  glowed!  What 
visions,  as  of  Paradise,  had  he  called  up !  And  could  it 
be  all  a  dream?  No,  in  God's  name,  no!  Had  not  Mary 
of  Magdala  seen  and  talked  with  the  Lord,  and  many 
others  in  Jerusalem.'*  And  had  he  not  sent  them  word  that 
he  would  meet  them  again  in  Galilee? 

The  great  miracle  they  had  so  long  looked  for  had  been 
accomplished;  not,  indeed,  just  the  miracle  they  had  looked 
for,  but  God's  ways  were  not  man's  ways,  and  He  would 
turn  things  to  meet  all  their  hopes  and  expectations  at 
last.  Filled  and  encouraged  by  such  thoughts,  the  dis- 
ciples toiled  on,  and  waited. 

One  morning  early,  as  they  drew  towards  shore  in  their 
fishing  boats,  they  saw  a  fire  burning  on  the  beach.  It  was 
a  lonely,  rocky  coast,  far  down  towards  Tiberias,  where 
they  sometimes  stopped  for  rest  and  refreshment.  They 
had  toiled  all  night  and  had  caught  nothing;  their  boats 
were  leaking  and  their  nets  were  torn.  They  were  going 
in  for  repairs.  At  first  they  saw  only  the  fire  on  the  shore ; 
then  as  they  drew  nearer,  they  saw  a  man,  who  called  to 
them  in  fishermen's  dialect  and  asked  what  luck  they  had 
had.  They  told  him  that  they  had  caught  nothing.  By 
the  light  in  the  east  shining  upon  tlic  still  waters  of  the 
lake  the  movement  of  a  lar";e  school  of  fish  near  the  sur- 


570  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

face  could  be  plainly  seen  by  a  person  on  shore,  and  the 
man  called  out  to  the  disciples  and  told  them  that  there  was 
a  school  of  fish  on  the  right  side  of  their  boats,  and  like 
one  familiar  with  the  business,  directed  them  how  to  man- 
age to  catch  them. 

The  disciples  did  as  directed,  and  soon  perceived  that 
they  had  inclosed  a  great  number  of  fish.  By  this  time  it 
had  grown  light  enough  to  see  more  plainly,  and  John, 
looking  more  closely  at  the  man  on  shore,  told  Peter  that 
he  believed  it  was  Jesus !  Peter  then  looked  more  keenly 
also,  and  he,  too,  saw  that  it  was  Jesus.  In  the  labor  and 
excitement  of  working  the  nets  and  boats,  with  so  many 
fishes,  Peter,  with  characteristic  vigor,  had  thrown  off  all 
his  clothes,  and  now  hastily  putting  on  but  one  garment, 
a  coarse  fisher's  coat,  sprang  overboard  and  swam  to  land. 
He  found  that  the  man  was  surely  Jesus. 

Without  knowing  that  the  disciples  would  come  to  this 
place,  Jesus  on  his  way  to  Capeniaum  had  been  preparing 
his  own  breakfast,  as  appeared  by  some  small  fish  broiling 
on  the  coals.  Though  it  was  immediately  known  to  all 
that  Jesus  was  come,  they  did  not  at  once  abandon  their 
nets,  but  first  secured  their  fish  and  drew  their  boats  to 
land,  before  joining  him  about  the  fire.  To  Peter  alone 
this  return  of  Jesus  was  a  genuine  reality. 

He  looked  upon  Jesus  as  the  same  he  had  ever  been:  he 
was  alive  and  in  the  flesh.  The  others,  more  awed,  re- 
ceived him  more  distantly.  They  had  a  sort  of  fear,  as 
of  a  ghost  or  a  spirit,  and  in  their  undisguised  simplicity 
gazed  upon  Jesus  without  speaking,  as  if  he  were  indeed, 
like  Samuel  of  old,  an  unsubstantial  phantom,  a  presence 
that  would  shortly  dissolve  and  disappear. 

Jesus,  observing  this  awe-struck  appearance  among  the 
disciples,  and  especially  in  Thomas,  spoke  at  once,  and 
plainly,  about  it.  He  told  them  not  to  be  afraid  ;  for  he 
was  a  man  of  flesh  and  blood,  the  same  as  ever,  and  subject 
to  human  infirmities,  as  he  always  had  been. 


OBDURATE  571 

"  I  have  to  eat  and  drink,  just  as  you  do,"  he  said,  and 
showed  them  his  hands,  yet  unliealed.  "  See  here,  where 
the  nails  that  fastened  me  to  the  cross  went  through.  A 
s])irit  is  not  so,  and  spirits  do  not  eat  or  drink." 

Then  turning  to  Thomas,  whose  stare  of  astonishment 
and  increduHty  Avas  still  very  noticeable,  he  said,  "  Thomas, 
you  seem  to  be  yet  amazed  and  doubtful.  Come  here  and 
touch  me,  examine  my  wounds,  and  satisfy  yourself  that 
I  am  flesli  and  blood  like  the  rest  of  you." 

But  Thomas  was  too  much  awed  and  ashamed  to  come 
near,  and  Jesus  went  on  to  other  things.  He  was  still  so 
intent  on  his  mission  to  the  world  that  he  did  not  think  to 
make  any  explanations  about  his  resun'ection  and  his  re- 
turn to  them ;  but  he  began  talking  to  them  much  the 
same  as  he  had  ever  done.  He  repeated,  Avith  some 
changes,  the  story  of  the  Great  Supper,  and  declared  that 
there  were  many  among  the  Gentiles  more  worthy  than 
some  among  the  Jews.  Nevertheless,  Jerusalem,  he  said, 
was  still  to  be  held,  as  the  Prophets  had  so  often  declared 
it  to  be,  the  head  and  front  and  center  of  all.  It  was  the 
jNIountain  of  the  Lord's  House,  and  all  nations  should  flow 
unto  it.  They  should  read  and  search  the  Prophets  more 
diligently,  he  charged  them ;  for  in  them  they  would  find 
that  which  Avould  make  clear  much  that  now  seemed  to 
them  dark  and  strange. 

The  disciples  listened  with  gradually  decreasing  awe. 
Soon  they  began  to  ask  questions,  and  even  to  object. 
How  would  they  dare  to  go  to  Jerusalem  again?  They 
would  be  seized  at  once,  maybe  all  of  them  crucified. 
Nobody  cared  for  them  or  believed  in  them  any  more. 
They  were  reviled  and  mocked  here  at  their  own  homes. 
The  women  had  become  discouraged  and  gone  away.  The 
Zealots  were  offended  and  could  hardh^  be  regained,  un- 
less — ?  If  Jesus  would  only  noza  raise  the  banner  of 
revolt,  and  offer  to  restore  the  Kingdom  to  Israel ! 
Then  — . 


572  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

Would  he  not  now  do  that,  being  forced  to  it? 

The  disciples  at  last  plainly  asked  Jesus  that  question, 
and  as  he  did  not  at  first  answer,  they  repeated  it,  one 
after  another,  till  most  of  them  had  asked  it.  Jesus,  at 
first  so  cheerful  and  happy  in  meeting  his  old  friends,  was 
so  wounded  and  hurt  by  this  exhibition  of  dullness,  ob- 
tuseness,  and  complete  worldliness  that  he  grew  gradually 
silent,  and  appeared  so  sad  and  dejected  that  the  disciples 
grew  ashamed  and  ceased  to  question  him. 

Then  with  a  sigh,  Jesus  took  up  the  last  question,  and 
told  them  that  the  restoration  of  the  Kingdom  to  Israel 
was  a  matter  that  they  had  no  right  to  inquire  about  or 
meddle  with.  It  was  something  with  which  they  had 
nothing  to  do.  It  would  come  in  its  due  course,  when  God 
willed.  Their  business  was  to  follow  him,  to  practice 
what  he  had  taught  them,  and  to  preach  and  spread 
abroad  the  doctrine  of  Peace  and  Brotherly  Love  through- 
out the  world,  beginning  at  Jerusalem.  Many  other 
things  Jesus  said  and  did,  which,  as  one  of  his  old 
biographers  remarks,  with  the  artless  exaggeration  char- 
acteristic of  his  time,  "  If  they  were  to  be  written,  every 
one,  I  suppose  that  even  the  world  itself  would  not  contain 
the  books  that  should  be  written.     Amen." 

But  at  last  Jesus  ceased  speaking,  and  arose  to  go  away. 
He  appeared  weak  and  weary  and  dejected,  more  so  than 
the  disciples  had  ever  before  seen  him,  even  on  that  awful 
night  at  Gethsemane.  He  did  not  bid  them  good-bye,  and 
they  dared  not  ask  him  whither  he  was  going ;  they  only 
gazed  after  him  in  silence  till  he  disappeared  round  a 
point  of  rocks,  and  they  saw  him  no  more. 


LXXIII 
FAITHFUL 

"The  beginning  of  things  evades  us:  their  end  evades  us  also. 
We  see  only  the  middle." —  Hindoo  Poet. 

In  the  desert  our  story  began.  In  the  desert  it  ends. 
The  desert,  Hke  the  sea,  has  no  paths,  but  by  natural  land- 
marks, as  hills,  ledges  of  rock,  wadies,  the  experienced 
traveller  finds  his  way. 

It  is  mid-afternoon  of  a  sultry  summer  day,  and  we  are 
at  the  edge  of  the  desert,  not  far  from  the  cave  of  Addi, 
where  John,  before  beginning  his  ministry,  last  abode. 
With  our  face  to  the  east,  the  yawning  abyss  of  the  great 
wady,  with  spur-like,  impassable  chasms  jutting  out  into 
the  plain,  lies  on  our  left,  and  close  on  our  right  a  high 
beetling  tell  of  bare  rock  contracts  the  roadway  eastward 
to  a  narrow  pass. 

This  way  it  was  that  John  and  Jesus  took  on  their  way 
towards  the  desert.  And  nothing  has  changed.  Beyond 
the  pass,  to  east  and  south,  the  desert  sands  stretch  out 
inimitably,  as  then.  The  summer  sun  pours  down  its 
stifling  heat ;  the  sand  crackles  beneath  our  tread.  All 
vegetation  is  burnt  up,  save  here  and  there  a  thorny  cac- 
tus, sere  and  brown  with  dust.  No  bird,  no  flower,  no 
blade  of  grass,  no  sound,  no  moving  breath, —  a  barren, 
lifeless  solitude,  the  image  of  a  spent,  dead  world.  So  it 
seems ;  but  as  we  look  more  closely,  we  see  some  locusts 
gnawing  at  the  shrunken  and  juiceless  cacti;  a  gaunt 
hyena  stalks  along  the  rocky  border  of  the  tell ;  and  far 
overhead  two  vultures  sail,  not  now  towards  Mecca  and  the 
caravans,  but  circling  with  fixed  wings,  in  spirals  vast, 
looking  for  prey. 

At  the  pass,  sheltered  a  little  from  the  burning  sun  by 
an  angle  of  the  cliff,  sits  a  woman,  veiled  and  dressed  in  the 

573 


574>  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

coarse  garb  of  a  Galilean  peasant.  There  is  a  small 
bundle  and  a  cruse  of  water  at  her  feet.  We  are  reminded 
of  Hagar,  sent  away  to  the  desert  by  Abraham, —  only 
here  there  is  no  Ishmael. 

But  who  is  this  that  now  appears,  wending  his  way 
towards  the  pass  from  the  west?  A  man,  surely,  walking 
slowly  with  a  staff.  As  he  draws  near,  we  see  that  it  is 
Jesus :  but  so  changed !  His  form  is  bent  and  his  steps 
slow  and  feeble ;  his  hair,  still  abundant  and  unshorn  and 
without  covering,  is  white  as  snow.  The  noble  beauty  of 
his  face  is  not  gone,  but,  as  we  might  say,  etherealized, 
purified  of  earth ;  and  wan  and  haggard  as  it  is,  it  is  still  a 
face  to  haunt  one  like  a  dream. 

When  the  woman  sees  Jesus,  she  bows  her  face  upon  her 
knees  and  prays.  At  last,  when  she  hears  his  step  quite 
near,  she  rises  and  casts  herself  at  his  feet.  A  deeper 
shade  of  pain  fixes  itself  on  Jesus'  brow  when  he  looks  upon 
the  woman,  and  he  takes  her  by  the  hand  to  raise  her  up ; 
but  she  will  rise  only  to  her  knees.  She  only  looks  plead- 
ingly up  into  Jesus'  face  and  does  not  speak.  Jesus  gazes 
upon  the  woman  with  pity  and  love,  but  he  shakes  his 
head. 

"  In  my  Father's  House  are  many  mansions :  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you,  that  where  I  am,  there  may  ye 
be  also.  It  is  not  meet  that  thou  shouldst  go  with  me  now. 
God  buried  Moses  and  Aaron  alone  in  the  desert,  and 
Enoch  and  Elijah  he  took  secretly  away.  Shall  the  Son 
of  Man  shrink  from  an  end  like  theirs?  It  is  God's  way 
to  confirm  the  word  spoken  by  His  Prophets  to  men. 

"  God's  peace  be  unto  thee.     Farewell !  " 

And  Jesus,  stooping,  kissed  the  woman's  upturned  brow, 
and  was  gone. 


From  the  learned  and  judicious  historian  the  inquiring 
reader  has  doubtless  already  learned  how  a  concatenation 


FAITHFUL  575 

of  casual  events  and  conditions  in  the  Roman  World  gave 
ground  and  impetus  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  Christian 
Religion :  how  Heathenism  had  grown  rotten  and  effete, 
and  had  broken  down:  how  Judaism  had  become  alike  out- 
worn :  what  effects  the  preaching  of  John  Baptist  had 
produced, —  the  writings  of  Philo,  the  Alexandrian  School, 
Buddhistic  inoculation,  and  so  on,  all  contributing  their 
stream  or  little  rill  to  make  the  mighty  river  of  Reform. 

Not  altogether  a  barren  speculation,  perhaps ;  and  yet 
we  should  know  once  for  all  that  the  life  is  more  than 
meat,  and  the  body  than  raiment.  A  truly  Great  Life, 
lived  in  this  sinful  world,  cannot  fail  under  any  conditions. 
The  stars  in  their  courses  fight  against  Sisera.  The 
Angels  of  God  advance  the  banner  of  Truth  and  Right- 
eousness. 

Of  ttlnies  the  faithful  wait  long  ;  the  night  seems  endless  ; 
false  liglits  appear  shining  for  a  time  almost  like  suns, 
only  to  go  out  in  utter  darkness.  Nineteen  hundred  years 
is  a  long  night,  secmingl}',  for  poor  terrestrial  man ;  but 
it  is  not  endless.  There  is  an  end.  Already  the  Daystar 
appears.  The  East  is  aglow.  A  shaft  of  light,  as  of 
pure  gold,  from  the  Great  Luminary  streams  upwards  to 
the  zenith. 

There  will  be  Day. 


Date  Due 

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